Bound
by Lalaith Quetzalli
Summary: -AU to Nightingale.- Chains that free… keys that kill… the instrument meant to save the lady's life has also irremediably tied her to his match. When the time comes for the shadows to fall and trials of fire to take place, will both of them manage to remain standing till the end? How much of a difference can a bond of two souls make? First Thor movie rewrite!
1. Deamarkonian

Bound 

(Alternative Universe to _Nightingale_)

_By: Lalaith Quetzalli _

_Chains that free… keys that kill… the instrument meant to save the lady's life has also irremediably tied her to his match. When the time comes for the shadows to fall and trials of fire to take place, will both of them manage to remain standing till the end? How much of a difference can a bond of two souls make?_

**Deamarkonian**

Always, to save a life, something has to be given in return.

_When I woke up I took a deep breath, stretched some this way and that as I noticed I was very stiff for some reason, then I pushed the covers off me, sat up and swung my legs to the side. It was until I was about to stand, as my eyes landed on a tray on my bedside table (a tray which held some tea, my aunt's latest attempt at some miracle cure) that I froze in place as my mind focused yet again and I remembered everything._

_When I had laid down on the bed it was like settling on my deathbed (almost literally!). Then to wake up, to move and suddenly realize that my body didn't hurt, that I had no trouble breathing, or moving, that I didn't feel tired and weak…that I was alive…it was the most wonderful feeling I had experienced in my whole life._

_My eyes went straight to my right arm as I confirmed how exactly I suddenly found myself so amazingly healthy when I'd so recently been so terribly sick…the cuff-bracelet, deamarkonian Loki had called them, like the ones in Kenyon's novel. Wonder what the authoress would think if she were to learn that someone had actually managed to make that imagined trinket of her fiction into a reality…?_

_My head swam when I got on my feet, I wasn't sure if it was because I'd been so long in bed, or because my body was still growing used to Loki's energy. I could feel it…or I thought I could. An energy flowing through me, revitalizing me in ways I never thought I could possibly be helped…not quite undoing the damage of my leukemia, but helping a great deal nonetheless. It was like the cancer was still there, but Loki's energy was keeping it from hurting me; whatever the case, it was more than I could have ever dreamed of…_

_I slowly moved to my window-seat, where I sat to watch the sunrise…I felt a shift in the air to my side as Loki appeared._

_"Nightingale…you're awake…" He whispered softly._

_"I am…" I agreed._

_I made a move to turn and look at him but he stopped me with a hand on my shoulder, looking slightly sideways I noticed him watching the sky as it turned lighter ever so slowly with the rising of the sun, so I turned to continue watching as well._

_"I will never be able to thank you…" I whispered after what seemed like forever._

_"You being alive is all I wanted, I require no thanks, though…" His voice changed something, an inflection I couldn't quite identify._ "I think we need to talk my Nightingale…"

_I folded my right arm then, to touch the hand still on my shoulder, our bracelets touched and I could almost feel the shiver of the energy that bound us together, that kept me alive…_

_In that moment I couldn't understand why he sounded so stressed out. It was until later that I learnt I had been unconscious for three days and nights straight, not waking, not even moving and barely breathing…Loki wasn't even sure I would wake. The only reason my own family hadn't gone insane with worry was because Loki had set a spell beforehand, making so any time either my aunt or my father entered the room they saw me the same way they'd been seeing me the last few weeks; they also lost any interest they might have to make small talk with me, or ask any questions about how I felt and the like._

"Is anything wrong, Maverick?" I inquired, trying to lessen the somber feeling of the moment by calling him by my special nickname for him.

"Something unplanned has happened." His lips twisted in a half-smile, but nothing more than that. "Something related to this."

Again I felt the same shiver of energy as he touched the deamarkonian on my wrist; it seemed almost like the more I paid attention to it the more aware I was of the link that it created between us. I was also beginning to become aware of other things: like the shadow of sorts that seemed to have settled upon him; whatever was on his mind was serious… and bad, at least for him. I couldn't help the hint of fear: were the bracelets failing? Was I going to die anyway?

"You're not going to die…" He whispered into my ear as he curled around my body, my back against his chest. "However, I'm afraid it's still pretty serious."

"Whatever it is, you can tell me." I assured him.

"I failed." He stated glumly.

"You already said I'm not gonna die." I said, half-confused, half-reassured. "How can you claim to have failed then?"

"It appears that the one aspect of the fictional deamarkonian I was sure I could do without… has somehow slipped through. I almost believe it to be the Norns' way of making fun of me, of us both, by giving me what I've spent all these weeks praying for, only to put on it the one price I never expected to have to pay…"

I wasn't sure how it happened, but a part of my mind managed to keep up with his convoluted speech. I could remember the one part of the deamarkonian he'd said he had kept out, because it would be so inconvenient for us: the one that would make it so we had to be in close proximity to each other all the time…

For a number of seconds I felt like I couldn't breathe… I was pretty confident I was right, if we kept the deamarkonian on we would have to stay close together… if we didn't keep them I would die. I wasn't suicidal, I liked, loved really, still being alive; yet I hated with the same intensity the idea that it all might complicate Loki's life more than was necessary, more than I ever wished, or dreaded, to; at the same time, I knew that with all the effort Loki had already gone through to create those bracelets there was just no way he would allow me to take them off… which left but one course of action:

"When are we leaving?" I inquired softly.

I refused to allow the sadness to take me over, focusing instead on the good things: I was alive, I had Loki… and I would always have him. Everything else I could deal with… even having to say goodbye to my family.

"Wha…?" He obviously wasn't expecting that.

"There is only one thing I can think of that might have happened without you expecting it." I told him with as much calm as I could. "Especially since you mentioned it was one aspect of the fictional deamarkonian that you thought you could do without… the proximity clause. Which means we have to stay close together, not sure how much just yet, but I can hazard a guess that we cannot be in different realms. You are a god, a prince of Asgard, you're needed in your realm, with your people, far more than I am here… The solution, therefore, is quite obvious: I shall go with you. Not quite sure how that is going to work with me being mortal and all that but… I will go with you to Asgard."

"I am sorry my Nightingale…" He whispered, burying his face in my hair.

"Never feel sorry for saving my life Loki." I said his name, so he would know how serious I was. "Not for that, never that."

He didn't reply to that, not verbally, though I could feel a knot of mixed emotions trapped somehow inside the still-stabilizing link between us.

"I am here Loki…" I whispered softly yet strongly.

It seemed to be enough, at least for the time being, he laid his chin over the top of my head and we just stayed there, breathing together.

We didn't talk anymore then, though we both knew a lot needed to be said yet. I'd been asleep for a few days, and it was quite obvious that he hadn't been able to return to Asgard in that time. That meant we would have to leave soon… I had to find a way to help my aunt and dad move on, stop their suffering as much as possible, while still making sure they wouldn't try to seek me out, they had to move on… And, of course, there was also the matter of me being mortal and how exactly was I supposed to get into Asgard and not be kicked out for breaking some ancient law (it would be just my luck, after having just survived the impossible)?

In the end we did not talk about any of that, choosing just to stay there, watching the garden through the window. And then, for no specific reason, I began singing. _It was a little something I had been playing with in my mind for a while now, but it was the first time I actually sang the words as I'd been too afraid of trying it before… and in that moment Loki was there. It seemed right in some ways I didn't stop to think much about, some I couldn't begin to comprehend. It didn't really matter right then, all that mattered was that I sang, and Loki listened…_

_"All my life_

_Is changing every day_

_In every possible way_

_In all my dreams_

_It's never quite as it seems_

_Never quite as it seems…"_

_"I know I've felt like this before_

_But now I'm feeling it even more_

_Because it came from you_

_Then I open up and see_

_The person falling here is me_

_A different way to be…"_

_"I want more_

_Impossible to ignore_

_Impossible to ignore_

_They'll come true_

_Impossible not to do_

_Impossible not to do…"_

_"Now I tell you openly_

_You have my heart so don't hurt me_

_You're what I couldn't find_

_Totally amazing mind_

_So understanding and so kind_

_You're everything to me…"_

_"All my life_

_Is changing every day_

_In every possible way_

_And oh my dreams_

_It's never quite as it seems_

_Cause you're a dream to me_

_Dream to me…"_

**xXx**

I said my goodbyes to my family that very night. With Loki's help we made them believe it was all a dream of sorts, while at the same time having them retain the conviction of reality. I knew the next morning they would find the golem Loki had left on my bed, disguised as me. All arrangements had been made beforehand, so I knew the body would be cremated (before the spells on it could fail) and the ashes spread on the garden. Then they would move on… it pained me to have to leave them, but I convinced myself it was the only choice, and that I'd done all I could to make the separation as painless as possible.

The next part was harder. Loki held me tightly to him before jumping into the Shadow Paths. We came out in a corner of a garden, and I couldn't help but lost my breath almost immediately the moment I saw the golden-haired woman in regal attire sitting on a bench, beneath a huge tree, it took no effort to guess who she was: Queen Frigg!

"Mother…" Loki called to her as soon as we were fully in the garden.

I felt almost like shrinking as I kept myself behind him. I was in a simple white dress with purple stitching on the bottom and purple flats; by my feet an enchanted bag which held all my most important possessions, mainly books, pictures and some jewelry that had belonged to my mother and I wanted to keep, and a few changes of clothing.

"Loki, dear…" Frigg smiled brightly as she saw him, and then she saw me. "And who might this young girl be?"

Because I truly was young, barely fourteen, and so small (and the ravage the sickness had done to my body in the last few months didn't help matters any). Usually I paid little to no attention to the difference in age between Loki and I, but in that moment it was, almost painfully, obvious. I just hoped it wouldn't hurt our chances of getting the Queen's help.

"We need your help mother." Loki began telling the story we'd spun together right away. "This is Nightingale, this is my dearest friend, and she's in danger."

"The Lady Nightingale…" Frigg repeated, a note of surprise in her obvious. "She's your best friend, isn't she? I shall admit I imagined her to be older…"

"Nightingale is older than her years." Loki explained simply. "And it is true she's, among my few friends, the one I hold dearest… I have brought her here before you because she needs your help, we both do."

"You claim she's in danger…" The regal woman nodded, looking at me with a mix of curiosity and honest worry.

She was worrying, for a complete stranger, simply because her son was claiming her as a friend. In that moment I realized the last thing the gentle queen deserved was to be lied to. Besides, like Aunt Kathryn used to say, all lies come out eventually, and when ours did Loki was likely to take the blame, he didn't deserve that either. He was doing more than enough for me already. So before Loki could begin to truly spin the concocted story I laid a hand on his back, stopping him in silence. He turned to look at me in shocked surprise but I just shook my head slightly at him before turning to face the queen.

"My Queen…" I addressed her respectfully with a deep curtsy. "I hope you'll forgive that I dare speak to you directly, but I believe you deserve to know the truth."

There was no reaction from her; which meant that either she'd been expecting lies already, or she was waiting before judging, I hoped for the later.

"While your son calls me Nightingale and that is, certainly, a name I cherish deeply, I was born Silbhé Sebastiandottir." I switched my family-name to something she would understand better. "Loki has told you I'm in danger, and while that is, indeed, a truth in a certain way, it is nothing foreign, or violent in nature, simply the due course of nature." I realized I was being way more formal, and confusing, than was strictly necessary, and decided to make things clear. "I hail from Midgard, your Majesty, as such I'm mortal. Death should have come for me three nights ago; and it would have, but for your son's selfless actions that helped preserve my life. I know this is not the way things should have been done, and I offer my deepest apologies if, by accepting his help, I've offended you in anyway, or if I've brought dishonor to his name. It certainly was never my intent. All I wanted was to live…"

My voice actually broke at that part, and for a few seconds I felt like I couldn't breathe, until I felt Loki's hand on a bare spot on my shoulder, close to my neck. His touch calmed me enough to make me breathe deeply and order my thoughts. I briefly thought that he might want to finish the explanation, but he just stood there and I realized then that, it had been my choice to be truthful, and thus I would have to see it through to the end.

The Queen herself didn't say a word, just watching me, she must have known there was more that needed to be said, so she just waited in silence.

"Loki's actions had a… rather unexpected consequence." I went on, trying to keep calm. "For the magic keeping me alive to work as it should, we cannot be apart. We don't yet know what the actual limit on distance might be, but it was obvious enough there was no way we could be in separate realms. Which is why I came with him." I sighed. "I know that, as a mortal, I have no right to lay eye, or foot on Asgard, but I am willing to do whatever is necessary to ensure things go alright." I let out a breath I'd been unknowingly holding before making my offer. "Of course, if her Majesty believes this to be too much of a bother, or that it may bring danger or trouble upon Loki, I will leave just as I came…"

Loki opened his mouth to complain, but Frigg stopped him before a single word could leave his lips, her eyes still fixed on me.

"What about what my son has done?" She asked carefully.

"It can be undone." I stated simply, refusing to look at Loki, to see with my own eyes the horror I already knew he was feeling. "I am not ungrateful for his actions, the exact opposite, in fact. But, I will not become a problem for him."

"You would leave…" Frigg stated more than asked.

"Yes." I confirmed the words anyway.

"You would die…" She insisted.

"Some would say it is my time." I answered promptly.

I was trying to keep calm, shrug, and sound as nonchalant as possible; though I could see in the Queen's eyes that she saw through my paper-thin façade. Deep inside me, a voice cried at the idea of truly dying; while it was something I accepted, it doesn't mean I wanted to.

For almost a full minute not a word was said, by anyone. I began feeling faint, until I realized I wasn't breathing (that's how stressed out I was), and I had just taken a breath when, finally, the Queen broke the silence.

"You shall be my handmaiden." She announced unexpectedly. "You will answer to the name Nightingale only. A young lady from a distant land, come seeking sanctuary, your payment will be in your service to me. No questions will be asked, no demands made of you, of either of you. It's not the first time I've taken a handmaiden from another realm, and if you keep to yourselves it's likely that it will be years before anyone suspects anything." She took a deep breath before turning to Loki. "You might want to expand your research of whatever seidhr you made use of to save her life, if only to ensure you won't both die if something unplanned were to happen."

"Of course mother." Loki nodded immediately.

"My deepest thanks, your Majesty." I bowed deeply to her again.

Truly, things went far better than I'd ever expected; better than I had any right to expect.

My introduction as handmaiden to the Queen happened with surprising ease. Being the queen she had twelve ladies under her service at any given time, the women coming and going as either they moved on to get married or, in some very specific cases, their debts to the palace and the royal family were fulfilled. It turned out than one would be leaving that very week, and while there was a short list of candidates to take her place, mostly daughters of noble families that hoped to be accepted into service of the queen for a few years to bring honor and recognition to their families; no comment was made when I was introduced instead. No one even asked who I was, or where I was from, once the Queen announced me as her handmaiden, and that I was to be addressed as Nightingale, that was it.

While a number of handmaidens were meant to personally attend to the queen, most were left to other, lesser, tasks, like keeping her chambers in order, delivering messages, checking over meals, etc. In my case, it took less than a month for my lady to discover my interest in gardens, as well as my proficiency in tending to them. So soon those became my official duties, which at some point extended to taking care of Loki's personal garden as well.

While the Queen's gardens were certainly grandiose and quite beautiful, in my mind nothing could compare with Loki's private garden: with its huge lavender tree in the very center of it, surrounded by orchids, violets, carnations, several Norwegian blossoms I knew not the names of and roses… roses in every color in the universe! Eventually I would discover that the tree as well as the roses were grown from seeds from the very flowers in my old garden in Salani mansion; helped along by magic. Loki had specifically made arrangements for that garden like that, it was something for me, for us. No one except the two of us, and maybe his mother, were allowed inside (and the Queen hardly ever went there).

Thus my life as a handmaiden to the Queen of Asgard began.

**xXx**

I woke up abruptly to the sound of crystal bells chiming lightly from one of my bedposts. It took me a handful of seconds to be awake enough to realize what was going on, but the moment I did I pushed the covers off my body and moved to get off the big bed. I didn't fully process even as I reached for the long night-robe I laid every night at the foot of the bed (a part my feet would never reach), it was silk, the lightest shade of blue, with a lavender tree painted the length of the back, with its branches reaching down my arms, the front had scattered blossoms, making it seem almost like the wind had blown them around the robe. As soon as the slippers were on my feet I hurried to the door, before the pounding could start (and I knew it would, if I didn't answer the call soon enough) by the standards of those waiting outside.

I opened the door just in time, as a certain blonde was standing right there, hand raise about to knock (pound) directly on the door. The bell was something I'd come up with years before, to avoid their 'late-night visits' waking the other handmaidens who slept in the wing.

"Lady Nightingale…" Thor's voice sounded quite loud even when he was trying to whisper.

"Come inside, come inside, and keep your voice down." I muttered as I opened the door wide to him and his companions.

While he might have technically been my prince, I'd never been one to stand on ceremony for anyone other than the Queen, and the King (though with him it was more a necessity than something I actually wanted to do). Then there were the particular circumstances in which we had met; they'd been special enough to allow me some leeway.

"What happened this time?" I inquired softly as I moved after them. "No, first of all tell me, who's hurt this time?"

"Fandral." Hogun and Volstagg announced in unison as they helped the blonde inside.

"And Loki." Thor added as he went in.

"He's far worse than I am." Loki pointed quite calmly.

I was quite sure it was true, with the fact that Fandral couldn't actually walk on his own, one of legs seemed to have been rendered useless. And it was the same with one of Loki's hands, judging by the way he held his left arm tight against his chest, and yet he didn't stop his hand from falling limply downwards.

"Get him to the divan." I told the Warriors before moving in the direction of my bed.

In the back of my top drawer I kept a dozen or so glass vials covered in a thick cloth. Half of them contained powdered healing stone (two stones each), the other half contained the powder of one stone dissolved in spring water each. I hadn't always had that many, and there had been a time when no one but Loki had known I had them. It had all changed not even six months after I began living in Asgard, it had also been that day that my presence stopped going unnoticed by Thor and his friends…

_I had been sleeping then too. It was a late night and the fact that I hadn't seen Loki before retiring to my quarters made me feel uneasy. I hadn't been sleeping for long when I heard a lot of noise on the hallway just outside my bedroom. _

_My quarters were very particular. Us handmaidens had a special area of the palace just for us, close enough to the Royal Apartments to be able to attend effectively to our Queen, but far enough that we wouldn't disrupt them. A number of handmaidens shared quarters, and I was fortunate to be allowed a private room. We also had a common room for our personal use, which connected all the bedrooms. However, my bedroom was special, because it had a second door, one that lead to a little known hallway, which connected directly to the Royal Wing (much more directly than the main hallway did). _

_There was a reason for how the room was built, Loki had told me, as in ancient times it wouldn't have been rare for someone from the royal family to keep a mistress inside the castle by passing her as a handmaiden. In my case the extra door allowed Loki and I to visit often, in secret; also, the mere positioning of the room meant I was closer to him, which also helped. _

_I barely remembered to get my night-robe; it was supposed to be a gift from my father, for my last birthday before the Cancer had returned (though I knew my aunt had had it made in my father's name when he forgot my birthday). I wasn't even fully awake when I finally reached the secondary door in my bedroom and opened it. I'd just finished tying my robe closed and raised my head, in time to see the blonde Prince of Asgard half-carrying half-dragging his raven-haired brother down the hall. _

"_Loki!" I half cried out before I was fully conscious of what I was doing. _

_Thor reacted automatically, reaching for Mjolnir on his waist at the same time he turned in my direction, expression wary. _

"_N…Nightingale…" Loki was wheezing, which only worried me more. _

"_Nightingale?" Thor repeated in shock. "You are the Lady Nightingale?" _

"_I am." I waved that aside. "What happened to Loki?" _

"_Not…ing…" Loki panted. _

"_If he's hurt why aren't you in the healing rooms?" I inquired next. _

"_I don't need healing rooms!" Loki managed to hiss with some effort. _

_Thor's sheepish expression was even more telling. The basics of the situation became pretty obvious to me then: Loki and Thor had fought, either a spar or an argument-gone-wrong. They had fought, and Thor had hurt Loki, badly… Loki was refusing to go to the healing rooms, yet was in enough of a bad condition the seidhr in him wasn't healing him automatically. He didn't go to the healers because they didn't want his injuries to become known, or the cause for them; which meant that, most likely, the fight hadn't been sanctioned, so an argument then. I'd just reached that conclusion when I also noticed something else: the way Loki was talking, the problems he had to breathe… _

"_You hurt his ribs!" I barely managed to keep myself from screeching. _

"_Nigh…tingale…" Loki hissed. _

"_Just come inside." I stated. "You may not want to go see the healers Loki, though the Spirits know it is insane. However, you are going to get healed." _

_I did not wait for an answer before spinning around and getting back into my room. It took several seconds, but eventually Thor followed me, still half-carrying Loki, he went into my bedroom, closing the door behind him. _

"_Can you truly help my brother, Lady Nightingale?" Thor asked quietly. _

"_I can." I assured him with all the conviction I could. "I will." _

_Thor got Loki to sit on a divan in a corner of the room (the opposite corner from where my bed was). I would have preferred for Loki to lay on the bed, but I knew that would have been very improper, so I said nothing about it. Instead I reached into the top drawer of my night-table, there, in a cloth bag, enveloped in thick, cushy cloth were the six healing vials Loki had prepared for me in case of an emergency. I did not hesitate before taking the one with the elixir and handing it to Loki. _

"_Nigh…" He began. _

"_Drink it." I commanded with all the force I could muster, before adding more softly: "Please Loki, you need to heal." _

_I brought my own free hand to my chest, just below my breast; it was an unconscious gesture, though when I heard Loki's breath catching in his throat and turned to look at him, noticed how he was standing straight at me, at my hand… I realized what it must look like. And while it wasn't true (not yet anyway) I wasn't feeling the pain of his probably-fractured ribs, I was feeling the ghost of something… In the end I said nothing, remaining silent and letting him draw his own conclusions, which was enough to convince him to drink the elixir. _

"_Now this one." I stated next, holding up a vial of powder. _

"_Wha…" She shook his head stubbornly. "I don't need anything else, I'm f…" _

"_Dare not say you're fine." I interrupted him. "Think I haven't noticed how, in the whole while since I found you, you haven't moved your left arm, not even once? You have a broken wrist, or a broken forearm, I know not which." _

"_Healing powder does not heal broken bones." He pointed out with a triumphant glint. _

"_Usually not." I conceded. "But your arm is bleeding, I can see that too. And I can almost bet the cut is deep enough that you can reach the bone through it." _

"_I could see the bone through the wound when he broke it during our fight." The God of Thunder contributed helpfully. _

"_Thor!" Loki half-hissed, half-whined. _

"_Now, we can do this the easy way or the hard way." I said in the most no-nonsense voice I could. "But either way, you're not leaving this room until you're as healed as I can make you." _

_The Trickster let out a loud, dramatic, suffering sigh before pretty much using his right hand to pull his left arm over his legs, showing just how badly broken it was. He'd broken his radius, and at least one of the small bones that made the base the wrist was out of place, the wound was bad enough that I could see the bones through the shredded muscle. I didn't even want to imagine how much it would hurt, or what Loki would have done without access to a healer… _

_It was at that point that I promised myself that I would learn everything I could about Asgardian healing. The next time Loki ended up injured and either unable or unwilling to go to the healers (and I knew there would be a next time, many even) I would see to his healing myself. _

_It ended up needing the whole content of the powder vial before his skin fully knitted (by which point his bones had been set and half-healed already, and his muscles were as they should). The whole time both Thor and I could see the shadow of pain in Loki's eyes, though he refused to let a single sound escape his lips, and even his body only tensed slightly. _

_Once the ordeal was over I handed Loki a cup of valerian tea, he wanted to refuse me but I wouldn't budge and in the end he took it. He made a face after the first sip, until I gestured him to the honey-pot on the table beside the divan, where the tea-set sat; he added a couple of spoonfuls of honey to the tea, mixing it carefully, before going back to drinking it. _

"_It seems you truly know my brother, my lady?" Thor commented abruptly. "Though, I hardly know anything about you…" _

"_Thor…" Loki began in a warning tone. _

"_Oh, I have heard of the Lady Nightingale, and I know you to be my brother's best-friend." Thor pushed forward. "But if it is so, how come he never said that you were one of our mother's handmaidens? Our friends would have wanted to know!" _

"_Your friends Thor." Loki corrected almost coldly. "Your friends, not mine. And I doubt very much that they care enough about me and my life to even remember I've ever mentioned Nightingale in front of them." _

_It looked like Thor wanted to say something, to somehow object to that comment, but in the end he didn't; either he decided it wasn't worth the fight, or he realized Loki was right. _

"_My appointment to this honorable position is quite recent still." I chose my words with great care. "While Loki is my dearest friend, this situation was still… unexpected. We're still getting used to all the change. That, I would imagine, is the reason why he hasn't told you about it, my lord. That and, from what I know Loki, he isn't someone to volunteer information when others haven't asked…" _

_Thor's mouth turned in obvious dissatisfaction, but he didn't try to deny it, he knew I was right. If he never asked Loki about matters, like me, or anything else that was connected to Loki, his brother obviously wouldn't tell him. _

"_You spoke of change…" Thor commented next. "Are you not from Asgard then?" _

"_I hail not from the Realm Eternal." I admitted, once again being careful of how much I said. "However, my old home, my past, are two topics I would rather not speak of, if His Highness would desist from asking." _

"_Of course." He nodded immediately before noticing something. "Why the change in address? Just a few minutes ago you were talking openly to me, making demands even." _

"_I have realized how rude I've been, my lord." I explained with a bow of my head. "It was not my intention. I was just worried about L… Prince Loki." _

"_You're his friend, his best-friend I would bet, you have the right to be worried." The blonde nodded. "And I do not mind if you address me candidly. All my friends do, and I would like to think that any friend of my brother is a friend of mine…" _

_I bowed my head in acquiescence. _

"_As long as she doesn't do it before Father or the Court." Loki commented with a mischievous glint in his eyes, though his expression was still a bit stern. "Mother might not care much for grand-standing and royal protocol, but they do. And Nightingale could get in serious trouble if she doesn't follow it." _

"_Of course." Thor nodded immediately. "I would never want that." _

_With a nod Loki went back to his tea. In a few minutes he'd finished it and it took no time after that for the first yawn to pass his lips. _

"_Are you tired now, brother?" The blonde asked teasingly. _

_Loki made a rude gesture, opening his mouth as if to curse Thor, only to have another yawn escape him instead. _

"_His magic must be exhausted after those wounds." I commented calmly but firmly to Thor. "Even with the healing powder, injuries like that are very taxing on the body. Also, the tea I gave him is valerian, it's a muscle relaxant as well as a very light sedative. It's meant to help with whatever residual pain he might have, make sure his body relaxes and sleeps well; sleep will help his recovery too." _

"_You seem to know a lot about herbs and healing, my lady." The blonde commented with an almost thoughtful expression. _

"_Just a bit, though I shall endeavor to learn more on the topic." I told him seriously. "Thor, if either Loki or you ever get injured again and would rather keep it from public knowledge and the healers, come to me. I promise I will always do whatever I can to help." _

"_The help will be greatly appreciated, my lady." Thor nodded respectfully. _

"_Just Nightingale, please." I smiled at him. _

_No further words were said. Thor just helped Loki to his feet before leaving the same way they'd come in. I made sure to lock the door and then went back to my bed. _

Two weeks later I met Sif, Fandral, Hogun and Volstagg when they followed Thor and Loki to my rooms, all in need of some form of healing. A month after that I had the crystal bells installed on my bedpost, after fearing more than once that Thor's and Volstagg's pounding on my door might wake the whole palace. The bells were connected to a thick but nearly-invisible wire on the frame of the secondary door to my chambers; when the wire was pulled on a bit, the bells chimed, low enough not to be heard by others, loud enough to call my attention.

Since the morning after first healing Loki I'd begun visiting the healing wing, looking to learn everything I could about the art. Most people thought I was trying to earn a place as a royal healer, for when I ceased being a handmaiden. Truth is, after five years, I was the only one still there. Most handmaidens from noble families served a year, three at most; and those who were looking for a favor never did more than five. After five I was still there, rumors were beginning to build, people believing that I was paying with my service some kind of crime, either in my name or that of someone else… It could have been possible, even if that wasn't my case. And it wasn't like I could explain why, after five years, I was still a handmaiden.

The Queen had actually offered me the post of chief handmaiden after the end of my fourth year, with so many new girls around. But I knew that if I accepted I would have many duties that would keep me from what I truly enjoyed: the gardens, and the time I spent with Loki: either talking or just keeping each other company. So I carefully declined the offer. Still, I somehow managed to command a level of respect that no one, not even Rue, the chief handmaiden, did.

I pushed my mind back to the present as I looked over my shoulder and saw Hogun and Volstagg helping Fandral lay on the divan, the blonde was obviously in some pain. Loki, for his part, went to sit on a cushioned chair on the other side of the tea-table, still holding his injured hand against his chest in silence. Thor standing by his side.

"Sif, could I impose on you to heat up some water for tea?" I asked the warrior-lady. "It will help us all, please."

She nodded silently before taking the teapot and taking it to the small kitchenette in a corner of the handmaidens' common rooms. They were empty in that moment, thankfully. Though I knew that even if someone had seen Sif, seen any of us, no one would dare comment on it. All the handmaidens knew that I was friends with Sif, the Warriors Three, and the Asgardian Princes; even if none of them seemed to understand how such a thing was possible in the first place. At some point some of the girls had tried to start rumors that I was bedding Fandral, though those were put to rest almost faster than I found out about them; with Fandral himself explaining that we were just friends, seriously enough for the others to believe him. Though that still didn't explain why the womanizer hadn't tried to make a pass at me (maybe the fact that I was so young… though, with my position and fame some people seemed to forget those details more and more often as time passed).

"Do you know what caused this problem?" I asked over my shoulder.

In the last few years I'd gone from just having the vials with healing powder to keeping several jars and boxes with a collection of salves, potions, herbs, fruits, etc. Some ailments and injuries were better healed through more specific methods than just healing powder.

"Poison." Several of the warriors called at once.

"Blue scorpion." Loki clarified with a sigh.

I froze for a second.

"And exactly who thought it was a good idea to provoke the ire of blue scorpions?" I inquire sarcastically. "Because I know that those creatures like cold too much to seek anyone out."

"We were exploring…" Volstagg began.

My glare was somehow enough to shut him instantly, instead he just pointed to Fandral.

"Hey!" The blonde complained. "I resent that!"

"You can only resent it, if it is untrue, and I'm quite sure he's right." I countered. "I hope you realize the danger here Fandral. The poison of the blue scorpion is meant to lower your body temperature, dangerously low, to the point where eventually your blood will simply stop circulating, your body as a whole will be deprived of it, and of oxygen. You will, to put it in simple terms, 'go blue'. Then die."

The gasp that left his mouth made it obvious that he'd had no idea of the consequences of being stung by a blue scorpion. Which only made the whole situation even more stupid. Who provoked the ire of a knowingly poisonous animal without even knowing if they had a chance at surviving said attack (at least long enough to get a healer)? Apparently Fandral.

"You're lucky enough I've been studying poisons recently." I announced as I finally took a salve and a couple of potion bottles. "Otherwise I would be calling the healers already."

"But the Court cannot know we did this!" Fandral cried out dramatically.

"Why?" My voice was filled to the brim with sarcasm. "Because you were stupid enough to almost get yourself killed, or because you were stupid enough to do it the day before Thor's coronation as King?"

"Both." Sif deadpanned as she reentered the room.

I nodded at her as she served the hot water on the cups I'd already added the necessary herbs to. It was a blend of valerian, kava and lemon.

"Drink that." I instructed all of them.

"But we're not hurt." Volstagg eyed the cups carefully.

He knew well that, while I would never hurt any of them (I expended too much energy and effort healing them), few of my teas had a good taste.

"There are sugar cubes, milk and honey in the table." I signaled. "And even if you weren't stung by the scorpions, all of you have more than one scratch, who said you didn't come in contact with either the that poison, or something else entirely that might take effect at any moment?"

Unlikely, but if they all drank the tea none of them would be active enough to push others to do some other stupidity before the following morning.

Loki just smirked at me as he added honey to his own tea, he knew what was going through my mind; sometimes he knew better than I did myself.

In the five years since the deamarkonian had been sealed on our wrists our link had grown and deepened. We were able to 'read' each other's mood with perfect accuracy, and had at least a basic idea of the line of thought the other was following at any given time. We were also aware when there was any danger, good things and bad. There were some times, when the feelings were particularly intense, that I could almost believe I could see some kind of shiny, colorful ribbons floating in the ether, binding us together.

"Do any of you need to be anywhere this evening?" I inquired for good measure.

"No…" Ever so slowly they all admitted what I knew already.

"Then drink the tea already." I ordered simply.

No more complaints were made, and even Thor took his own tea. He added abundant sugar to his, considering it too bitter for his tastes. Hogun was the only one who took all teas natural, with Sif it depended on her mood, Volstagg preferred to add as much milk as he could get away with, Fandral would add a bit of everything, while Loki preferred them with just a hint of honey; I tended to add more than he did and lemon (whenever the blend didn't have it already), unless I needed the tea to be especially strong, then I took it natural.

As they drank the teas I used one of the potions I'd fetched to clean the area where the scorpion had stung Fandral (there were actually two), took hold of a small knife which I used quickly to force the wound open anew, making it bleed. It was obvious in the face of the blond that he didn't like it, and the tea wasn't enough to fully erase the pain, just to take the edge off; but he didn't say a word. The second potion I poured directly over the open wound, it caused the flowing blood to bubble for a few seconds, before it slowed down significantly (it was meant to eliminate the poison and facilitate clotting). Then I spread the healing salve, before finally making sure the skin would hold together with the help of tiny adhesive bandages. Fandral would be completely healed by the next day.

With Loki things went much easier and faster. He had placed a tourniquet of sorts on his wrist, stopping the poison from spreading, which was beneficial (it was why he'd only lost temporarily the use of a hand, rather than a whole limb, like Fandral).

After the two I took care of the cuts and scratches on everyone else. They were minor things, which could have easily healed on their own, but after I'd told them about possibly having infected themselves it was better if I just helped them too.

After that they all just waited until finishing all their teas before taking leave of my chambers. Thor and Loki were the last to leave, as usual; what wasn't was the blonde King-to-be turning back to look at me.

"I truly know not what we would do without you, Lady Nightingale." He told me in an oddly solemn and heartfelt voice.

"I'm sure you would manage." I told him with a nod.

He nodded back, though I thought I could see something in his eyes, like he didn't fully agree. It was strange, I'd never seen Thor like that, so serious, so… thoughtful. If only the sudden mood had helped with what would be happening in the following days…

**xXx**

That morning I couldn't help but feel a tad self-conscious in the golden strapless floor-length wrap dress I was wearing. It was the same attire for all handmaidens, in fact that was the style we all wore most of the time, though the ones for everyday use were shorter and I favored the use of a shawl of some kind on my shoulders. I wore no heels, ever, preferring flats, even if they made me look small; that day I was wearing golden sandals with straps, and still no heels.

I moved silently, as was usual, until I reached a column close to the entrance of the Throne Room, where I could hear Thor and Loki talking.

"You are incapable of sincerity." Thor said right then.

I had no idea what exactly they may be conversing about, but that simple statement, and the falseness of it was enough to make me almost want to reveal myself just to shut Thor up (and who cared that we were less than an hour away from him being named King…?)

"Am I?" Loki asked with complete seriousness. "I've looked forward to this day as long as you have. You're my brother and my friend. Sometimes I'm envious, but never doubt that I love you."

"Thank you." I could hear the smile in Thor's voice.

I stood there, as if speared in place. I knew I was intruding in a very private and emotional moment, yet didn't dare move, least I end up making a sound and be found out. Loki was being unusually honest and emotionally open in that moment. And truth be told, he doesn't lie as much as others might claim, he just… likes to play with words, twist them and the truth around until you couldn't help but believe something that was, in fact, a lie.

"Now give us a kiss." Loki jested.

They began joking a bit and I closed my eyes as I waited for the right moment to approach Loki. I had to talk to him before the ceremony commenced. I waited until there was a lull in their conversation before finally stepping into view, right as Thor turned to talk to Loki again.

"How do I look?" He inquired.

"Like a King." I couldn't help but answer at the same time Loki did.

"Lady Nightingale." The blonde turned to look at me in surprise. "You look most charming this day." He winked and smirked at me before adding. "Is this all for me?"

"Keep dreaming… my lord…" I made an exaggerated curtsy at him even as I smirked.

Right then the sound of a ceremonial horn interrupted us.

"It's time." Loki stated solemnly.

"You two go ahead." Thor told us with a small smile. "I'll be along. Go on."

I wasn't sure how good an idea that was, but since I truly needed to talk to Loki before the ceremony commenced I didn't complain. Loki just shook his head, probably thinking the same thing, before offering me his arm. The glint on Thor's eyes right as we went to enter the Throne Room through a mostly concealed side-door told me Thor was planning something.

"He's going to make an entrance, isn't he?" I asked, right as I thought it.

"Yes." Loki nodded with a roll of his eyes.

"The Allfather won't like it." I pointed out unnecessarily. "Neither will her Majesty."

"No, they won't, but it's not like we can do anything to stop Thor." The raven-head replied with a shrug of his shoulders. "Or like either of them will truly chastise him for it; after all, this is to be Thor's day…"

"Loki…" I didn't know what to say.

I knew he was honest when he claimed to have been waiting for the day as long as Thor, and that my dearest friend had no interest in laying claim to the crown; while he might excel at diplomacy greatly, ruling just wasn't to his liking. He would rather be an Advisor to the King, helping from the shadows was much more in his nature.

"I would rather not argue right now, Nightingale." He told me with a sigh.

Yes, because no matter how much he might not want the crown… he still wished his father at least believed him worthy of it, of the responsibility and the honor. It was one thing I could not understand, how can the Allfather be called 'allseeing' and yet be so blind to what was right in front of him? The fact that one of his sons felt painfully inferior and constantly compared to the other. But Odin did not see, and there was nothing I could do to change that; for even if I were to try, I was but a handmaiden, and my words held no weight at all (besides which, they would call attention upon myself, more than we were prepared to deal with if we wanted to keep my origins in the shadows).

"He's much too stubborn." I said, going back to the topic of Thor's upcoming entrance.

Loki nodded in agreement, and I could see briefly the glint of thankfulness in his eyes, he was grateful that I hadn't pushed. Then again, I knew him enough, knew when to push and when not to. We stayed in silence for a few seconds right as we reached the side-door we would be entering through. Loki stopped me before concealing us in a nook.

"Is everything ready?" He asked me in a low voice.

"Yes." I made a pause before adding. "Loki, are you sure this is a good idea?"

"You know as well as I that Thor just isn't ready to be King." He told me.

"I know." I nodded. "But Jotun? I mean, I don't actually have anything against them as a race but… you know Asgard's stand on them and their realm."

"And I know Thor's opinion on them, which is the most important detail." He replied. "For this plan to work I need to know exactly what to expect. It's quite easy to know what Thor will do when the Frost Giants interrupt his coronation… his reaction should be enough to make Father see just how not-ready he is. That should give us time."

"You know this is just postponing the inevitable, right?"

"It gives us more time to make sure that when Thor finally gets the throne he won't be a danger to Asgard, or any of the other realms."

"You know I stand by you, I always will." I stated calmly. "I just hope this won't get out of our hands… or yours, in any case."

He nodded to me, but even as we finally left the nook to join everyone else for the ceremony I could sense the thought neither of us wanted to voice: things were going to go so wrong…

I watched Loki climb over half the steps leading to the dais upon which the King's Throne sat, with Sif standing closest to him; while the Warriors Three stood on the opposite side. I went to stand on the same side as Sif and Loki, though below the dais, right next to Rue; the rest of the handmaidens were in strategic points all around the Throne Room.

Thor made an entrance, like we'd known he would. Also, as expected, Odin and Frigg weren't too happy about it, though neither of them chastised him. Instead, the ceremony went on. I wasn't paying much attention to it, only half paying attention to his speech; instead I stood there, tense, waiting for the moment when the presence of the Jotun in Asgard would be revealed? Shouldn't it have happened right away? Even if Loki had concealed their entrance into the realm, after that they were on their own; they couldn't have possibly gotten very far without someone noticing, without someone alerting Heimdall, and the Allfather, right?

The moment Odin's tone shifted, as he reached the most important part of the ceremony I returned fully to the present. I also felt as if I couldn't breathe. Had something not worked? It couldn't be. Loki's plans were always foolproof… the Jotun must have gotten into Asgard, so then why was nothing happening yet?!

"I swear…" I heard Thor said the words for the, third time? Fourth?

"Then on this day, I, Odin Allfather, proclaim you…" The King stopped talking before he could finish the last line.

I could sense Loki's apprehension through our link; he'd been as worried as I, until Odin finally pronounced the words we'd been waiting for:

"Frost Giants…" He murmured.

The reaction was instantaneous as Thor took hold of Mjolnir before leaving the Throne Room in a rush; Loki and Odin following right away. Sif and the Warriors Three too reacted swiftly, taking hold of their weapons, before following after the three royals.

"Everyone keep calm." The Queen called with quiet authority. "Whatever the situation might be, it will be dealt with. Until then everyone is to keep calm and wait for their return. I assure you, we're all perfectly safe."

I truly admired the Queen. She was as in the dark as the rest of us (more than some, in fact) yet she managed to keep perfect calm and take control of the situation like nobody's business. It was absolutely amazing.

**xXx**

The coronation was canceled in the end. Though I wasn't quite sure what exactly had happened. Aside from the fact that, somehow, the Frost Giants had managed to get into the Weapons' Vault before being stopped by the Destroyer! And how the hell had that happened? The Eihenjar were supposed to stop them long before they got that far!

After escorting all the nobles out of the palace with help of the other handmaidens the younger ones were left to straighten everything while Rue followed the Queen in case she needed any more help. I chose to go to Loki's garden to wait for him. I'd tried looking for him, but there was a lot of talk of theories regarding what might have happened and it all made me more anxious than I could handle in that moment.

It was hours later, after I'd taken to clearing some rosebushes from dead leaves to kill some time and quell my stress that I saw him appear from the corner of my eye. By the way the afternoon sun went through him I realized easily enough that he was but an illusion; which could only mean that he was busy enough he couldn't go look for me himself… the thought only served to make me all the more nervous.

"Maverick?" I inquired turning to look at him.

"Look at you, leaving dirt and leaves all over that beautiful dress." He chuckled at me.

I had to actually look down at myself to remember that I'd never changed out of the coronation gown. So, indeed, I was leaving tracks of dirt, dead leaves and dry twigs all over the elegant silk dress… I couldn't believe I'd forgotten I was wearing it.

"You truly hadn't noticed?" He inquired, probably noticing my expression.

"I was much too anxious to focus on anything." I admitted, finally standing up.

With a lazy wave of his hand my dress looked once again as good as new, which made me smile; even as a corner of my mind reminded me the dress wasn't that important.

"What's going on?" I asked him with complete seriousness.

"We're going to Jotunheim." He announced straight on.

"We…" I couldn't even fully process the thought.

"I mean Thor, his friends and I, of course." He shrugged slightly before letting out a sigh.

"Whose insane idea was this…?" I began, then stop him with a shake of my head. "No, don't answer that. It's quite obvious. Wait, this wasn't part of the plan, was it? Because if it was I must say I missed it…"

"No, it wasn't, it still isn't." He told me seriously. "You need to find a way to talk to Father, or at the very least Mother. We cannot make it to Jotunheim…"

"I'm just a handmaiden…" I reminded him. "I have never so much as spoken a word to the Allfather, I wouldn't know…"

"I know this is terrible timing Nightingale, but I really need someone I can trust to deliver this message, and time is running out." He was grim as he said that. "I wouldn't ask this of you if it wasn't absolutely necessary. I will do my best stall with Heimdall but…"

"Shouldn't he simply not let you pass?" I inquired. "I mean, it is against the Allfather's edict to go into Jotunheim, right?"

"Right, but I'm afraid the Jotun incursion might make him want answers, and it's likely he will be willing to bend the rules a bit to get those answers."

I ran a hand through my hair, things had really gotten out of hand.

"Nightingale…" He called quietly but urgently.

"Right," I took a deep breath, calling on all the conviction I was capable of. "I shall go find the King, let him know what's going on."

"Do not call too much attention upon yourself." He told me. "If necessary just tell him you overheard us talking when we were getting our horses or something."

I nodded, hoping I would remember the excuse when I was before the King.

"I need to go now." Loki informed me as his image began flickering. "Hurry Nightingale…"

His image was still dissipating when I left the gardens.

As I moved through the hallways at the top speed my legs were capable of I kept reminding myself I wasn't running, just walking fast (it wasn't proper to run inside the palace) and even if I was, the situation certainly called for it.

It took me far longer to find Odin than I'd thought it would. After checking the Main Hall, the Throne Room, the Council Room, in the end I found him in a private meeting room (after having run through what seemed like half the palace). I felt awful, fearing I might have taken too long already. I'd sensed when Loki had disappeared from Asgard, much too quickly considering that he was supposed to stall for time talking to Heimdall, which told me that yet something else had gone wrong (or not according to plan, which was just as bad in that moment).

It had been three years or so since we'd solved the matter of the deamarkonian and separation. At first we'd had to deal with a certain distance being the limit before we began weakening (first I, then him, since I was weaker than him from the start). Eventually Loki had managed to find a way to get past that. It was tricky because, while it gave us more leeway, it also tied us more deeply to each other. We felt the other's absence acutely but could function around it. We were also quite sure that if something were to happen to one the other would resent it and, of course, if one died so would the other.

After finally making sure it worked Loki had offered to return me to Midgard, but I refused. What hope had I of recovering my life after being dead for two years? Even if Loki used magic to make it so no one remembered I'd 'died', there was a part of me that simply wasn't interested in going back to that life…

In the end we did go to Midgard, for one day, to visit. I saw my father with his new wife and step-children. They were living in Germany and they seemed… happy. He was trying to be a better husband and father, and I was glad for that. He'd moved on. My aunt was another matter entirely. I saw her in the United Kingdom, but she wasn't in the house she owned in Wales, instead she was in a flat in London, standing in the middle of an empty room, going through katas for some martial art I did not know. Then her phone rand, and I could distinctly hear her voice when she answered: 'Agent Adler speaking…' She'd gone back to working for the government?! With how much she hated it the first time around?! What the hell had happened there?!

I did not know what had happened, and there was no time to find out. Truth was, she'd moved on, even if I couldn't understand the motivations behind her choices. My family was alright, safe, they'd moved on… and I needed to do the same.

The two Eihenjar standing just outside the King's private meeting room stopped me before I could get inside. And wasn't that great? They'd ruined things when they should have stopped the Jotun, who shouldn't have gotten as far as they did… yet they stopped me, when I needed to reach the Allfather before it was too late! In the end I knew I would have to do something that would call attention to me, there simply was no time to argue with the soldiers. So I turned my back to them before they could get a good enough look at me and, calling on magic, I jumped.

It was the other consequence of the tighter link between Loki and I, his magic had become as good as mine too (I could access it with the same ease as him, though I was still learning the spells I could do with it). Teleporting was one of the first things Loki had taught me; it was a good skill to have, considering how big the palace was, and how small I was in comparison (and even after five years my physical condition wasn't exactly the best).

I landed suddenly in the middle of the meeting room, swaying sideways due to lack of balance. Still, I knew time was of essence, so I forced myself to focus. I saw Odin open his mouth, obviously about to call for the guards, so I spoke before he could:

"My Lord!" I called urgently. "Your sons need you!"

That line was enough to make him stop and think, though he still got on his feet and approached me, such a power in him I couldn't help but fall on one knee.

"Speak." He demanded authoritatively.

"My apologies for the abrupt entrance, Allfather." I spoke in my smoothest voice. "L… Prince Loki asked me to deliver a message to you, in extreme urgency. Though it took me longer than I expected to find you. It's about him, Prince Thor and their friends…"

"Loki, Thor and their friends…" Odin repeated suspiciously. "Where are they? Why would they send a handmaiden to deliver an urgent message?"

"Because they're on Jotunheim, my lord." I answered promptly.

"What?!" Odin's voice boomed all around. "What madness drove them there?"

"I know not the particulars, my King." I lowered my head so he couldn't see the lie in my eyes. "I happened to see Prince Loki when they were about to leave. He said he'd no time to find you and asked me to alert you of the situation."

"Those boys…" Odin muttered, mostly to himself. "Have the stable-boys prepare my warhorse!"

"Yes, my lord." I nodded as I pretty much jumped to my feet.

When I left the room running (and this time truly running) I didn't even stop to consider how surprised the Eihenjar must have been, considering they never saw me enter… in the end I jumped again as soon as I turned the corner, to be able to get to the stables fast; the last thing I needed was for the Allfather to arrive before I did (and he actually arrived shortly after). I just prayed he would find Loki, Thor and the others in time…

**xXx**

When I first woke up I wasn't sure what was going on, or even where I was. After a few seconds I realized I'd fallen asleep cradled in the roots of the huge lavender tree, still in the golden gown. I'd been waiting for Loki to return, but he never had… I lost my breath for a moment at that idea, until I managed to focus and realized I could sense him, he was in Asgard, inside the palace even, and in so much turmoil I almost felt sick when I focused on him.

It was still dark, which meant the day hadn't ended yet. I knew that whatever had happened it was bad and I needed to find Loki… but as I couldn't really go looking for him like I was in that moment I rushed to my chambers. Since I'd been in Loki's garden it was faster for me to use the royal hallway to reach my quarters through the secondary door. I was walking by a door I knew lead to one of the Queen's private rooms when I tripped slightly over the hem of my dress. I was in such a hurry… and then I was falling. I managed not to hurt myself, or to make noise, but in the silence I couldn't help but hear the voices arguing inside the room: One belonged to the Queen, the other, her husband. I knew it was wrong to eavesdrop on a private conversation, but I'd twisted my ankle on the fall, and it took me longer than I wished to get back on my feet, in the meanwhile I couldn't help but hear:

"How could you have done this?" Frigg was saying in a low but still obviously upset voice.

"Do you understand what he set in motion?" Odin asked in a hard tone. "He's taken us to the brink of war!"

"But banishment?" Frigg's voice broke minutely. "You would lose him forever? He's your son!"

I felt like I was losing my breath in that moment. Banished? Who? Loki? Thor? Both? Odin had a bad history of blaming and punishing Loki for things Thor was responsible for (never mind that, this time, technically Loki was the guilty one, he began the whole thing that ended up with them in Jotunheim). And yet, according to precedent Odin had never done something as horrible as disavowing one of his children! What the hell happened in Jotunheim?!

"What would you have done?" Odin asked in turn.

"I would not have exiled him to a world of mortals, stripped of his powers, to suffer alone." The Queen answered him. "I would not have had the heart for such cruelty!"

"That is why I'm King." The Allfather deadpanned, before adding in a softer tone. "I, too, grieve the loss of our son. But there are some things that even I cannot undo."

My mind began focusing around then, only one son had been disowned, and apparently banished to Midgard in the process… it couldn't be Loki, because I could sense him; also, I had a dark feeling that if Loki were ever to be deprived of his magic the deamarkonian would kill us both… I vaguely heard the Queen saying something about bringing her son back, her son, Thor… Odin said no, but I was no longer paying attention, for I'd finally gotten back on my feet and hurried to my room, too much on my mind to focus on anything specific right then.

After I had bathed I dressed in one of the more usual handmaiden dresses, a simple sand color. On my feet were brown-leather sandals with straps that wound around my ankles and up my calves. Half-absently I took hold of a bag which I filled with basic first-aid supplies (just in case) and then went looking for Loki. As it turned out, I ended up finding Sif and the Warriors Three before I found him, and after seeing Sif taking bandages off Volstagg to reveal some serious burns my healer instincts took over and I went to them.

"Why haven't you come see me?" I asked straight out as I approached them.

"Lady Nightingale!" The three men cried out in shock.

After noticing they wouldn't say anything productive right then I just shook my head, knelt beside Volstagg and began working on the wounds Sif had uncovered on his arms…

"Are these burns?" I asked as I blindly fetched a salve from my bag.

"Ice-burns." Fandral qualified.

I nodded. I should have expected that much, I'd read of the danger of a Jotun's touch, in a book Loki had gotten me, so I could learn more about the races in the Nine Realms.

"I suppose you've heard what happened." Sif stated more than asked.

"Very little." I told her. "I heard something about Thor being banished, to Midgard, I think. But that's about it."

"Didn't Loki tell you?" Fandral seemed confused by that.

"Haven't seen him since he went after Thor when the ceremony was interrupted." It technically wasn't a lie. "I was looking for him when I saw you and decided to give you a hand."

"You have my thanks, milady." Volstagg bowed his head respectfully at me.

"I do think that what you did was idiocy." I pointed out seriously as I began re-bandaging his arm. "Doesn't mean I won't give help when it's needed."

He nodded, he knew I said the truth, I'd healed him, healed them all enough times…

"Here." I passed him a small bag filled with leaves. "Drink a tea with these if the pain bothers you too much, just make sure you have nothing to do afterwards, as it's a light sedative and will make you sleepy."

"My thanks, milady." Volstagg nodded.

"Will one of you tell me what happened exactly?" I inquired turning to them all.

"We should never have let him go." Volstagg muttered, upset.

"There was no stopping him." Sif shook her head.

"At least he's only banished, not dead." Fandral pointed out. "Which is what we'd all be if someone hadn't told Odin where we'd gone."

"Who even told him?" Volstagg wondered aloud right then.

"And how did that person know?" Sif added her own question.

"I did." I announced outright. "I told the Allfather where you had gone."

"What?" They all seemed to be thoroughly shocked by that. "Why?"

There was such intensity in their looks that I was left speechless for a moment, having no words to defend my actions. Thankfully I didn't need them in the end, for Loki arrived right then to speak for me.

"I told her to." My Maverick announced as he revealed himself.

"You told her to go to the Allfather?" Fandral seemed to be getting pretty angry.

"I saved our lives!" Loki turned defensive instantly. "And Thor's. I had no idea Father would banish him for what he did."

"Loki, you're the only one who can help Thor now." Sif spoke, trying to keep the peace. "You must go to the Allfather and convince him to change his mind!"

"I don't think it's gonna be that simple." I muttered, mostly to myself, though I'm sure I was heard by most of them.

"Nightingale is right." Loki pointed out. "But suppose I do, then what? I love Thor more dearly than any of you, but you know what he is. He's arrogant. He's reckless. He's dangerous. You saw how he was today. Is that what Asgard needs from its King?"

The others exchanged silent glances but Loki didn't say anything else, just turning to leave the room, I hurried after him.

"Maverick…" I called him softly, ever so aware of the turmoil still inside him.

"Not right now, Nightingale." He didn't even turn to look at me.

I froze in the spot. Never had he spoken to me like that, so dismissive, so closed off… not even when I was eleven-years-old and nothing more than a child trying to be more than I could, pretending to know more than I actually did…

He seemed to notice what he'd done, or at least my reaction for he stopped, let out a sigh and finally turned to look at me over his shoulder.

"Please…" He muttered quietly.

I knew something was definitely wrong, and it was a very bad idea for him to try and keep things inside; and yet I didn't dare push, not when he seemed to already be standing on an edge… I just hoped I would get the chance to help before he jumped and lost himself…

I considered leaving back to my quarters, or the gardens, until I noticed I'd left my bag back in the room, so I went to retrieve it, only to find Sif and the Warriors continuing the conversation among themselves, on a line I'd never expected.

"Laufey said there were traitors in the House of Odin." Hogun commented right then.

"Why is it every time you choose to speak, it has to be something dark and ominous?" Fandral inquired with a tired sigh.

"A master of magic could easily bring three Jotuns into Asgard." Hogun added.

"No!" Volstagg cried out in denial. "Surely not!"

I couldn't hold my tongue back anymore.

"I hope you are not implying what I think you are." I said in my most biting tone as I stepped fully back into the room.

They all turned shocked eyes at me, it was obvious they weren't expecting me to return.

"Lady Nightingale!" Volstagg cried out in delayed stupor.

"I truly, honestly hope you were not just implying that Loki is a traitor to his own Father, and all of Asgard…" I hissed at them.

"Of course not!" Fandral just hesitated slightly as he replied. "Loki's always been one for mischief, but… but treason? That's another thing entirely."

"Exactly." I nodded. "Another thing entirely. Yet you're all still thinking it, I can see it in your eyes. Tell me, how many times has Loki saved your lives? Just in the last five years alone the number is already pretty high, I imagine if we tried to count them back to the last thousand years we would all lose count…"

"We're not accusing anyone…" Sif tried to be pacifying.

"But you are." I retorted. "You are turning against Loki, like you do whenever anything happens that doesn't have your approval, or Thor's. This is a critical moment. Thor is banished, there's risk of war against Jotunheim, and you choose to squabble and talk about Loki betraying Thor? The Allfather? The rest of the realm?" I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself. "Have you any idea the kind of consequences there would be if anyone heard you talking like that?"

I could see that more than one of them had something they wanted to say, but they all were too shocked in that moment. They were looking at me with such confusion and awe, as if they hadn't seen me ever before. Did I truly look different to their eyes in that moment? Compared to every time they'd seen me, either as I went through my duties as handmaiden, or when they woke me at unholy hours of the night to see to the consequences of one more of their 'valiant quests' gone utterly wrong? I suppose I probably looked different. But then again, never before had anything they did or said truly made me angry. And yet, hearing them talking about Loki like he was a traitor, like he was the worst… it was too much for me.

"Have care how you speak of Loki." I told them in my most serious and quiet voice. "You do not know him, therefore have no right to judge him."

"But you know him…" Fandral began.

I turned cold eyes at him instantly.

"If you finish that sentence you will regret it." I warned him icily. "And for the record, you do not know me…"

I said nothing more. I'd already said enough, possibly even more than enough. So with that in mind I simply took my bag and left the room as swiftly as I could, without making it seem like I was running away from them.

**xXx**

Loki avoided me for the rest of the evening. I considered going looking for him in his room, but then changed my mind. I'd stopped going to his private chambers three months after arriving to Asgard. During that time I'd spent more nights there than not, feeling lost in such a different environment, and with everything that had happened. Eventually I'd managed to convince myself that I was being childish and it was time to grow up. It didn't matter that I was only fourteen, I was a handmaiden to the Queen, as good as a refugee in the Realm Eternal, and everyone around me was treating me as an adult, which meant I had to act like one. Loki never commented on it (neither my staying with him, or when I stopped doing it).

The next day, after finishing my morning routine I finally made up my mind on not stopping until I'd found Loki; however, the conviction went down the drain when Karin (Rue's second) rushed to me. She looked completely flustered, and the mere fact that she was practically running (in the dress and her favored high-heels) told me that something was definitely wrong.

"The Queen needs you." Was all she said. "In her private apartments."

It was all she needed to say. I went straight into my room, knowing it was faster, going through it and exiting through the second door. In no time at all I'd made it to the Queen's main sitting room (where she would receive guests sometimes); Rue was there, serving tea.

"Rue?" I inquired, confused.

"The Allfather has fallen into the Odinsleep." She told me quietly as she bid me to help. "I know not the details, but it was serious enough that Eihenjar escorted his unconscious form back here. At this time only the most trusted servants can be anywhere near these rooms."

"You are the chief handmaiden." I pointed out.

"True, but everyone knows you're the one the Queen trusts most, for whatever the reason." She reminded me in turn.

"You know there are things I cannot say." I sighed.

"I am not asking any questions." She told me calmly. "I will admit, your presence here has always caused me a great deal of curiosity. Everyone calls you Nightingale, though it's quite obvious that cannot be your name. You're obviously not Aesir, though that's the race you look most like, among those I know, you're still much too small… and yet you have power, I can feel it running beneath your skin. You have authority, even the soldiers listen to you, even the Warriors Three and those are some of the worst! And then there's the trust the Queen has on you, and the Princes, especially Prince Loki…"

"Ok, there's a lot I cannot say, oaths I've taken not to speak about such things." I told her softly. "But some things I can explain quite easily. The name Nightingale was given to me by someone I care greatly for, and is the one I choose to carry now; whatever my name might have been in the past is no longer important. The Warriors, including Prince Thor, listen to me because I'm as good as their personal healer. I've been helping them for years, especially when they get back from one of their infamous misadventures. The Queen knows me, truly knows me, which is why she trusts me. And about Prince Loki… we're friends, we've been friends for longer that I've been a handmaiden, and that's all I can say on that matter."

Rue just nodded. I knew I could trust that she would not turn the things I'd just told her into gossip; she knew when some things were meant to be private, it's why the Queen had chosen her to be chief handmaiden. She also knew I'd been offered the post and declined, and that while protocol indicated that she outranked me, in practice things weren't quite like that.

"Go." She told me, offering me the tray with the tea. "I will stay here."

I took the tray and went into the Queen's private sitting room (it was only meant for family, and the most trusted handmaiden, and it also had the doors for the Queen's private bedroom, as well as the King's).

"Your Majesty?" I called quietly as I placed the tray on the table there.

"Nightingale?" She asked softly.

"It is I, my Queen." I nodded. "I've brought you tea."

"Have you heard what happened?" She asked as she sat on the comfortable chair, signaling for me to sit in the other chair.

I knew that if the other handmaidens were to see me the gossips would go through the roof, but I just sat as bid, taking a sip of the second cup of tea.

"Rue just told me." I nodded. "I'm sorry I couldn't be here sooner."

"It just happened." She assured me. "And there's nothing you could have done to change it. I requested your presence for another reason… Loki needs you."

It was as if her voice, those words, flipped a switch. Suddenly I was keenly, almost painfully, aware of the link between Loki and I, of the storm of emotions that he was trying to contain inside. Trying and failing…

The moment the Trickster God stepped into the room, exiting the second bedroom, the one where Odin laid, he froze, eyes fixed straight on me. Frigg didn't say a word, simply taking her leave from the room, caressing Loki's hand briefly with one hand before moving past him and into the bedroom, closing the door behind her.

"Loki…" I called quietly.

He didn't say a word, only turned as if about to leave the room.

"Please don't leave." I managed to stop him.

I walked until I was standing right behind him, though I didn't try to touch him, I could sense he wouldn't react positively to that. I wanted to offer him my help, my support, but in the end what came out of my mouth was another thing entirely:

"If you don't wish to see me I will leave, you shouldn't have to." I told him quietly. "Your family needs you now, while my presence is unnecessary."

For a handful of seconds there was no answer and I decided it was better to leave things like that. However, before I could give more than two steps he stopped me.

"Don't leave…" He whispered, voice breaking in the end.

I could almost hear a _me_ in the end…

"Loki…" I turned around slowly, feeling a compulsion to help in any way I could.

"I… I know I've been evading you, I haven't been fair to you, I just…" For the first time in all the years I'd known him, Loki seemed to truly be at a loss for words.

"Loki…" I placed a single finger over his thin lips to stop him. "You need not tell me anything. You owe me nothing Maverick. Whenever you wanna talk I'll be here, whenever you need me, I'll be here. Until then…"

Before I could finish the sentence he quieted me.

"No Nightingale, I owe you much…" He refused to let me deny that. "This is not about the deamarkonian. You must know that is no debt in my eyes. You being alive, and especially you being here is something that has brought me untold joy. I know not what I would do without you my Nightingale…" He took a deep breath before giving one step back. "If anyone deserves to know this, it's you. Even if, after all is said and done, you decide you never want to lay eyes on me again… I'm a monster…"

I didn't get the chance to deny his words, before I could even think of them, he changed right in front of me: alabaster skin turning cobalt blue, marked by twisting dark tribal-like marks, his jade-green eyes bled red and black, like old blood; I vaguely became aware that the temperature in the room had dropped several degrees.

I had no need for anyone to tell me what it was I was seeing, it was ice clear…

"You're Jotun…" I whispered, with calm I could hardly believe myself.

"Yes…" He nodded, watching me with a blank stare, as if waiting for the other shoe to drop.

"But you're no monster." I finished the statement with a tentative smile. "You could never be a monster in my eyes. No matter the color of your skin, or your eyes. You're still… you."

"I am a Jotun." Loki almost hissed, though I could see the pain behind the anger. "I am the monster children's nightmares are made of…"

I wanted to keep denying it, but a part of me knew it was no use, I would never be able to convince him just through denial; so I tried a different tactic.

"Loki, who told you, told us all that Jotun are monsters?" I inquired, feigning ignorance.

"The tutors, historians." Loki enlisted blankly. "It's in all the books…"

"Exactly." I interrupted him. "And do you know who writes the books?" I didn't wait for an answer. "There is an old saying on Earth: History is written by the victor… one could also say it's written by whoever's left… you get my point. Aesir wrote history, so of course they would say that their enemies, the Jotun, are monsters!"

"It's cannot be that simple."

"But it is. Just like Aesir think that humans still worship them and live like they did in the Dark Ages… I wonder what some would do if they found themselves in the technology-filled world that is now my old realm…" I shook my head. "The point stands. You cannot judge a race through what is said of them by their enemies. It would be like asking someone, anyone you've ever pranked to express their judgment on you…"

It looked like he was honestly thinking on that, something I took advantage of as I moved closer to him, raising my hand until it was but an inch from his face.

"You cannot touch me." He whispered somewhat brokenly. "I will hurt you."

"No." I shook my head empathically. "I don't think you ever could."

Then, before he'd a chance to insist, or try to change back, I pressed my fingers to his cheek. I could feel the cold, numbing, almost biting, beneath my fingers; however there was no pain. I turned my hand then, just enough to caress the side of his face, ending with the tips of my fingers on the corners of his lips.

He reacted in a way that I would call instinctive, holding my wrist and lowering his own head enough to kiss first the tip of my fingers and then my palm.

"Thank you…" He whispered against my skin, in the softest voice I'd ever heard.

I'm not quite sure what happened, but seconds later I was standing on my toes, one hand braced on Loki's shoulder, the other pressed against his chest, and my lips were being molded against a pair of colder, yet somehow, at the same time, hotter, ones. There was so much passion, tempered by the most incredible tenderness in the contact.

We separated when we ran out of breath, though he kept our foreheads pressed together. I could see his skin going back to the alabaster tone slowly, beginning on his lips, forehead and the hand he had on the back of my neck, fingers threaded in my hair (that I could not see, but I could feel the gradual change in temperature).

We stayed in that position for what could have either been forever, or just a minute. Eventually Loki opened his mouth, as if to say something, but before he could the moment was broken by the echo Odin's other door closing, as his attendants left.

"I wish I could hold you and kiss you forever…" Loki confessed in the softest of whispers.

"But we have duties to observe right now, I know." I nodded with a small smile.

I made to leave right then, but he refused to let me go.

"We trust you." He said simply.

It was enough, even if I didn't feel like I should, he wanted me there, so I followed him into the King's chambers. Where he was laying in that moment on his bed, enveloped by a golden energy, magic, his, in its purest form. The Queen was sitting beside him and when she raised her head at our entrance and saw both of us there, she just smiled. Loki went to sit on his father's other side, while I stood behind him, saying not a word.

"So, it is true then…" Loki stated more than asked, though we all knew what he spoke of.

"It is true." Frigg nodded almost sadly. "I asked him to be honest with you from the beginning. There should be no secrets in a family."

"So why did he lie?" Loki really wanted, needed, to know the answer to that.

"He kept the truth from you so that you would never feel different." The Queen explained. "You are our son, Loki, and we your family. You must know that."

I considered it for several seconds before daring to open my mouth and speak.

"Even more so, I think." I said quietly. "Because you're not family by accident, as is almost always the case; instead you're such by choice." I stared straight at Loki, willing him to believe me. "They chose you Loki. Whatever your ancestry, your origins, Odin Allfather chose to save your life, and not only that, but to make you his son…"

I may not fully agree with a lot of things the man did, I may never fully like him… but I did believe that he loved Loki, in his own, half-twisted way. He could have left the baby in an orphanage, or worse even, in that temple to die… instead he took him to Asgard, and into his own family. A voice in a corner of my mind told me that it was quite possible that, in the end, Odin's only true mistake was to believe that he needed to be a King more than he needed to be a Father. After all, Thor's excessive allowances had been as much of a crime against him as the overly harsh punishments had been against Loki.

"She's right." Frigg nodded. "I will never forget the day he came back, with your little, almost fragile form wrapped in his torn cape. He brought you straight to me, rather than to any healers. Asked me to make sure you were alright; and then, once we were both convinced you would be just fine, he asked me what I thought of having a second son…"

Loki let out a breath, it was obvious he hadn't know the story, nothing beyond the fact that he was Jotun and adopted… he hadn't realized that Odin had truly wanted him.

"The war made a lot of extreme measures necessary." Frigg went on. "The magic shields were up all the time, I spent months practically sequestered in the Royal Wing, my private apartments even. The number of people I was truly in contact with during that time, even among my own handmaidens, was small enough that we could claim that I'd been pregnant, and even more so, given birth, and no one had noticed. Your birth was announced and celebrated along with the end of the war with Jotunheim."

And years later, with so many disliking or simply not understanding the younger Prince, they'd forgotten his birthday, focusing only in the other celebration.

It was sad, but not uncommon, in any world. One of my classmates… her birthday had been in Christmas Eve… hardly anyone remembered it, focusing instead on the more popular celebration. She'd told me once that even some members of her family had forgotten a few times.

"Fa… he said that there were plans…" Loki whispered, almost pained. "But that they no longer mattered. What were those plans?"

"You are Laufey's first born." Frigg explained quietly. "Odin was convinced that if Laufey one day died, and we could help you get Jotunheim's throne… there would finally be peace between our two realms…"

"Because the Kings would be brothers…" I muttered in realization.

"Exactly." Frigg nodded. "However, we pushed away those plans years ago. Not because we don't think you could do it but…" She gazed at Loki with eyes so filled of love I lost my breath. "I was afraid of how the Jotun would treat you and… I am selfish Loki. I may not have given birth to you, but you're my son… I love you so much, and I don't want you to go…"

Loki left out a half-gasp, half-sob at those words and I could feel inside our bond how all the darkness that had been drowning him began falling apart, piece by piece. The walls shattered and, for the first time since Thor's coronation was announced, I could feel peace in him. And a hint of guilt. I knew what he was going to say a second before the words came out of his mouth:

"I let the Jotun in." He confessed, lowering his head penitently.

I held my breath, having no idea what reaction to expect.

"I know." That certainly wasn't what I'd had in mind.

"What…?" Even Loki seemed to be at a loss on how to react to that.

"You knew your brother wasn't ready for the crown." Frigg elaborated. "I saw the same, but Odin was simply too stubborn… I told him I could still be regent… but he insisted that our sons were old enough… it was supposed to be the two of you, together, you know? Yes, Thor would be the one to carry the title, but we both believed you would be by his side Loki, as you always have been. I even thought that you could handle being King, but the Council wouldn't have it…"

"It would be insulting Thor, as the firstborn, if he was passed up for the younger one." I muttered, not even noticing I was speaking out-loud.

"And there's the fact that hardly anyone in Court likes me." Loki added with a half-smirk before shaking his head. "Not like I ever wanted the crown for myself. Anyway. Though I don't know how Thor would have reacted to the idea of me advising him."

"You've always advised him." I almost snorted.

"It is true." Frigg agreed. "And while he may not always accept it, he knows when you're right my son, he knows when to listen to you…"

Jotunheim would claim the opposite, but then again, most of the times they did manage to get out of the messes they (or mostly Thor) got them into.

"So you're not angry for what I did?" Loki didn't quite believe it. "I betrayed…"

"You did what you thought was necessary when no one would listen to you." Frigg interrupted him. "It might not have been the best way to get things done, but I fully believe you had nothing but the best intentions."

"Things weren't supposed to go like that." Loki admitted quietly. "I didn't actually do that much. I was in Jotunheim, and purposefully made a comment on how the coronation would be ruined if Jotun tried to invade Asgard. I knew they knew about the Hidden Roads. The entrance on both sides is cloaked, but some of us still know. Even if Heimdall wasn't able to see them get into Asgard… I imagined he, or someone else, would notice their presence right away. They were never supposed to get as far as they did!"

"Indeed." Frigg nodded. "I know of those Roads as well. As I know that you travel them, and the Shadow Paths frequently."

Loki just shrugged, not about to deny it.

"I would just ask you to be more careful." Frigg went on. "Even if it was not your intent for things to happen as they did, it still happened. And the Jotun may try again, especially if they find out how precarious our present situation is."

I could feel Loki's guilt rising. He believed it was all his fault. And I couldn't help but think I should have realized that plans never go exactly as they're supposed too, should have known things could, and most likely would, go wrong…

"Father…" Loki's whisper sounded almost like a prayer, or a plea…

"You can speak to him." Frigg encouraged him. "He can see and hear us, even now."

"Some things might be better said and heard when he can actually answer." Loki decided with a shake of his head. "Even if it is only to decide I am unworthy…"

"Loki!" I couldn't disguise the horror I felt at the mere idea.

"Your Father would never do that." Frigg chastised him right away. "He loves you. Whatever mistakes he might have made in his parenting, never doubt that."

Loki sighed and I was sure we were both remembering when he'd said similar words to Thor. Had it just been the previous day? It somehow felt like longer…

"How long will it last?" Loki inquired right then, signaling to the sleeping Odin.

"I don't know." The Queen admitted. "This time is different. We were unprepared."

"I never get used to seeing him like this." Loki said softly. "The most powerful being in the Nine Realms lying helpless until his body is restored."

"He's put it off for so long now, I fear…" She didn't dare finish the thought, though she extended a hand to entwine it with that of her husband.

I turned my eyes away respectfully; I was quite sure that whatever trust some handmaidens might have had in the past, never had one been allowed to witness the things I was witnessing; it was all so incredibly personal…

"You're a good son." Frigg told him with a smile, before suddenly turning to me. "And you are a blessing to us all, Nightingale."

"As always, it's my pleasure to serve, my lady." I told her with a bow of my head. "You, all of you, have done so much for me. A lifetime won't be enough to express my gratitude."

Frigg and Loki just shook their heads; more than once they'd told me there was no debt, but I couldn't help but feeling like that and they chose not to insist in that moment, thankfully.

"We mustn't lose hope that your father will return to us." Frigg declared, turning to Loki again. "And your brother."

"What hope is there for Thor?" Loki was truly confused by that.

"There's always a purpose to everything your father does." Frigg reminded him. "Thor may yet find a way home."

With a sigh Loki got on his feet, I could sense his mind working a mile a minute; I imagined he was focusing hard on what had happened when Thor was banished, trying to discover how he could come back, what plans his father might have made. Odin and his plans… really!

Before I could say a single word to either help him focus or relax (I wasn't sure which was preferable, to be honest), we all heard the loud echo of metal banging together, and on stone. Seconds later a contingent of Eihenjar, in full battle armor, were standing at the opened doors to Odin's chambers.

I didn't breathe, and was almost sure Loki didn't either, as we waited to see what would happen. Had Heimdall or someone else heard Loki's confession or found out what he had done some other way? Had someone called the guards to come for him? Or…

Not. I could sense the tension in Loki's form, but the Eihenjar did not enter the room, instead they dropped on one knee in unison, heads bowed in respect. And then, the Head of the Council marched in solemnly, ceremonially holding Gungnir, the King's staff, in his hands.

Loki and I both turned silent, shocked eyes to Frigg, we did not understand…

"Thor is banished." Frigg explained serenely, looking straight at Loki. "The line of succession falls to you. Until Odin awakens, Asgard is yours."

My mind simply stopped working after those words were pronounced. Loki, King of Asgard?! Why did that sound so wrong? It wasn't that he didn't deserve it, because he certainly did, a thousand times over even, but it wasn't something he wanted!

Ever so slowly Loki turned back to the Councilman and extended his arms. I could sense his hesitance, and knowing there was nothing else I could do, I focused all my faith, my unwavering support, making sure he felt it through our link. In a second his form straightened and relaxed at the same time and he took hold of the offered relic.

The moment the staff was off his hands the Councilman got on his feet, though he kept his head bowed and walked backwards away from Loki so as not to turn his back to him.

Once more Loki turned his eyes to his mother, who smiled proudly at him.

"Make your father proud." She told him, bowing her own head briefly in respect. "My King…"

With a wave of his hand, Loki dismissed the Councilman and Eihenjar, who bowed once more to him before taking their leave. The doors to the chambers closed before Loki turned to me. I didn't let him say a single word, instead I gave a handful of steps, until I was standing right in front of him, before slowly but swiftly dropping to one knee, pressing a hand over my heart.

"My King…" I whispered with absolute devotion.

"No…" He shook his head. "Never shall you kneel before me, my Nightingale. Never."

I just smiled and took the hand he offered as I got on my feet.

In that moment, as we stared into each other's eyes, I wanted nothing more than to stay like that, to stay just us; but it was still true that we had duties, more so with him being named King. While he might have never meant to get the Throne, it was his, and he had to honor that, his name, and that of his Father…

Slowly Loki turned around to face his unconscious Father, he pressed a hand to his chest, while holding Gungnir with the other one.

"I shall do my best to make you proud… Father…" He whispered solemnly.

He nodded solemnly at his mother, caressed my cheek briefly, and then left. I wanted to go after him, to follow and support him every step of the way… but I had my own duties to see to, so I just went to stand by the Queen in silence.

For a few seconds the only sound in the room was our breathing, until the Queen spoke.

"You were the one who warned Odin of where they'd gone." She stated, not asked.

"Yes, my Queen." I nodded, then I couldn't help but add. "Loki appeared to me before they left, asking me to do so. I must apologize, my lady. Maybe if I'd been faster, been quicker to use my magic, I would have found the Allfather in time to stop all this madness from happening…"

"Regardless of how fast or slow you had been, my sons and their friends would still have gone to Jotunheim, Odin would still have banished Thor, then fallen into the Odinsleep, and Loki would have had to step up in their place…" She sighed. "In the end, we would have ended exactly where we are right now."

I didn't reply to that, I honestly didn't know what to say. But the next thing the Queen said took me completely by surprise:

"Nightingale… you have been my handmaiden for almost five years…" He whispered. "My most loyal… my most trusted…"

I have no idea where the speech was going, but I couldn't help the fear. Was she going to dismiss me because I wasn't fast enough? No, that couldn't be it, she'd already said it wouldn't have made a difference.

"All these years you've done your duty to me, to the crown and to Asgard." She was suddenly standing in front of me. "But now there is someone who needs you more than I ever could…"

It felt like water falling over me, a light shower that went through my whole body. I blinked, and then noticed I was no longer wearing the handmaiden dress, instead I was wearing an elegant floor-length velvet gown in a very dark color (looked black, though under the light it shone either blue or purple); the neckline and the bell-like sleeves were violet, and there was intricate golden stitching in the round neckline and the sleeves from shoulder to elbow (where they were tight on the arm). Even my shoes changed, from the strapped flats to delicate golden slippers.

"Your Majesty…" I honestly did not know what to say.

"Loki needs you." She said simply.

In the end, that was enough, we both knew it was the truth, even if I'd never expected for things to change so radically, and in such a short time. Still, decisions had already been made, and all that was left was to move on, so I did. That was how I went from being the Queen's handmaiden to becoming the King's Advisor…

* * *

Here we are! A brand new AU! (I hope people aren't getting tired of these yet, I still have plenty of ideas. Though, I promise, as soon as I get a copy of TII:tDW I will get working on the actual sequel to Nightingale).

This is my self-present for my birthday (which is tomorrow... this seems to be a new tradition of mine, second year in a row...! And your reviews would be very welcome additions to this (yes, I'm blatantly using my birthday to fish for reviews, I have no shame...)

Hope you enjoyed this, and what's yet to come!

Full size poster and set of wallpapers, as always, can be found in my DA page, under the name Princess-Lalaith.

The story will be updated every two weeks (this one only has three chapters).


	2. Regent

**Regent **

Ruling is no gift and no game, it is an honor and a duty.

There is a position that few people in the Court know of, but is greatly coveted by those who do; it has many official names, but most people tend to call it and the person who carries it: the 'Crown Whisperer'. It is someone who has the ear of the King, who is his strongest supporter, his most trusted confidant, his first advisor. I had heard of that position for a long while, heard the names of those who'd been the Allfather's Whisperers in his youth, before Lady Frigg had come and surpassed them all; heard the murmurs of the names court members and even some highly trusted servants were betting on to be King Thor's Whisperer… never in my wildest dream did I imagine a day would come when the position was offered to me.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" I asked softly, nervous.

I couldn't help but finger constantly the thick, heavy pendant I was wearing in that moment. It was pure gold, with Asgard's seal on one side, and Odin's on the other. I realized belatedly that it belonged to the Queen; it was her Crest… but of course, with such a sudden appointment, there was no way Loki could have gotten a crest made with his own seal.

"I can think of no better person to have my back." He assured me, placing a hand over the one I had on the Crest. "Mother knew that too…"

"Well, I'm no Warrior, but this is no battle, so maybe…" I wasn't even sure what the point I was trying to make was, I was too anxious.

"Oh, you're wrong about that." Loki half-smiled. "This is a battle, in some ways more vicious than even an all-out war. And you're exactly the kind of 'Warrior' I need." He held my face between his hands. "There's no one I would trust more to support me in this kind of situation. Not even Thor…"

Most wouldn't have seen that as a compliment, after all, we both knew that Thor hadn't a diplomatic bone in his body. However, we both also knew that in all their lives Loki and Thor had needed the support of no one but each other, no matter how hard or complicated the situation they got in might be. So, in the end it was a compliment, of the highest order.

"Do we have to do this right now?" I asked with a mock pout.

"The faster we get it over with, the better." Loki replied with a fake-exasperate shake of the head. "For all we know the Allfather might wake up tomorrow, but if he doesn't… the Court needs to know where the Royal family stands right now."

"You know I'll be with you every step of the way." I assured him. "No matter what."

"I know." Yeah, he did. "Any last suggestions before we go in?"

"If they know Thor was banished yesterday they will all be going crazy trying to think of what is going to happen, Jotunheim's threat of war only complicates matters." I pointed out, carefully considering things. "The last thing we need right now is for the Court to think you're usurping the throne, or something like that. It could be terribly harmful to us all."

"What do you suggest to avoid that?" He inquired, interested.

"I'm not sure what could be done exactly." I admitted. "But you need to make it pretty clear that this whole situation was not your will. That you're honoring your father and your brother, but do not seek to keep the crown for yourself once one or both have returned. At the same time, we have to convince them to support you for however long you need to hold the throne."

"Easier said than done…" He muttered under his breath before nodding purposefully. "Lets see what I can think of."

No more words were said, we were as prepared as could be.

All eyes were on us the moment we stepped into the Throne Room. Loki walked regally, in his best tunic, leathers and full golden armor, Gungnir held tightly in his hand; I walked one step to his right and two steps behind him, in my new elegant dark gown, hair half-up and half-down, the Crest hanging heavy off my neck. I measured my steps carefully to be able to keep up with Loki's elegant strides (who was controlling himself too) without making it seem like I was running or that he was walking slow (even though our difference in height was obvious to any and all who were looking at us).

Loki stood before the Throne formally, waiting until I was standing at his right, just beside the edge of the ornamented throne. Our positioning gave several things away immediately, and we could both hear the whispers about it, but neither of us said a word about it, waiting until the room was quiet once again, some people lowering their heads in shame after realizing the kind of disrespect it was to be speaking like that, especially in the presence of the Prince, or King…

"I will be brief, so we can proceed with business." Loki stated formally as he held Gungnir before him for everyone to see. "The Allfather has fallen into the Odinsleep, leaving the duty of ruling and guarding Asgard and the Nine Realms to his offspring. However, as some of you must know by now, Prince Thor is currently banished. While we all hope for his quick and safe return once he's learnt the lesson Father intended for him, it is important for Asgard not to present any kind of weakness. The Throne cannot be seen empty. Therefore I have accepted the right of succession and I stand right now, before you, as Regent to the Throne of Asgard."

Quiet murmurs had begun rising the moment his speech began, however, the moment he finished everyone was deadly silent. No one had been expecting those words, no one at all.

"Regent? My Lord?" The Head Councilman inquired, the only one daring to pronounce the question that was probably in all their minds.

"Yes." Loki nodded calmly, regally. "I realize I am not the brother you wished to take the throne, and it is not my intent to be King, ever. However, like I said before, Asgard needs to be guarded and due to my birthright, the responsibility has fallen to me. So I will sit on this Throne, as Regent, until such a time that Thor comes, ready and willing to take his place, or Odin Allfather is once again among us."

While still obviously surprised, the Court began nodding approvingly at that; if it was because they were happy Loki wasn't trying to force his way to the Throne, because they believed Thor would return soon, or a combination of the two, I did not know, nor did I care. It was of little importance, anyway, as long as we… as long as Loki got the support he needed as King… everything else was secondary.

Without further ado Loki sat on the throne, before making a dramatic gesture with his hands to motion for Court to begin. I was preparing myself mentally to stand there all day when, suddenly, I felt the edge of a chair (a very comfortable chair) right behind me.

*I can't have my Whisperer tiring herself out too early, can I?* He murmured straight into my mind, through our link.

I just smiled at him, not sure how to reply mentally without risking being overheard. Still, I could sense that the gesture was enough.

And thus, Court began.

The whole thing was entirely too tiring. Mentally if not physically. A lot of what was going on seemed to be mere formalities: like the Army Captains announcing the state of each of their platoons, passing on reports from the guards posted on different sections of the realm, informing of how a particular area was recovering after a recent magik storm… then there were those who had offers: most were simple things, offering of this or that child of their name, whom they wanted to serve in the palace, either as a handmaiden, a servant, a guard, etc. Those offers were recorded and other people dealt with them for the most part, unless the candidate was particularly promising, then the King would make his decision right away. Loki did none of that. Even though the offers of handmaidens hit a cord in both of us.

With me acting as Advisor, the handmaidens were down one number, and while I knew I would not be the Whisperer for long (just as Loki wouldn't remain on the Throne for long), a voice in the back of my head told me there was no going back to being a handmaiden, it just couldn't happen, too much was changing already.

The only truly serious part was the Eihenjar sent by Heimdall, reporting on the restlessness in Jotunheim, and the Spokesman for the Council who wanted to know how the possible threat of war would be handled.

"That is one matter I've taken into consideration." Loki informed the Court. "The last thing Asgard must want is war, however, we shall not be ill prepared if our enemies were to decide to attack us. So we will hope for the best and prepare for the worst."

It was something I knew he'd been planning in the back of his mind during most of the day, what to do regarding Jotunheim. The army would be in standby, however, he would still try to reaffirm the treaty, if such a thing was even possible.

"And how you do expect to achieve that?" A councilwoman inquired after Loki was finished with the basis of his plan.

"I shall go to Jotunheim myself, to speak to King Laufey and work out the best way to settle this matter without bloodshed." The Regent announced.

"The K… Lord should take a regiment, for safety." A councilman stated self-sufficiently.

"Is he insane?" I whispered under my breath. "Or does he want you to start a war?"

"Either, both." Loki answered quietly before turning back to the Council. "Absolutely not. The last thing we want is for Laufey to take our mere arrival as an act of war. Besides, I am perfectly capable of protecting myself. I shall go, at most with two others. This is a matter of diplomacy, not of war."

The councilman didn't seem to like the answer very much, but he did not insist.

Eventually evening came and most of the Court took their leave. Taking advantage of the mostly empty room (only the Eihenjar meant to guard Loki and I remained) I took to walking the back of the Throne Room to work-out my stiff muscles (I couldn't begin to imagine how stiff Loki must feel, after sitting on that cold, hard throne all day).

I was still doing that when the doors opened abruptly to allow Sif and the Warriors Three inside; so focused they were on whatever was on their minds that they did not see me, standing in the shadow of a column; they did not even notice who exactly sat on the throne as they stood, heads bowed, fists over their hearts.

"Allfather, we must speak with you urgently." Sif called respectfully yet strongly.

When they finally raised their heads and saw Loki sitting on the throne, Gungnir in hand, they were shocked. I could see Fandral and Volstagg muttering quietly but didn't hear what was said exactly; and an instinct told me to stay where I was and call no more attention to myself.

"My friends…" Loki called dramatically. "I realize you were not present at Court today, with Thor's regretful absence and all that, but haven't you heard. I have been charged with Ruling Asgard, for the time being."

They pretty much ignored the Regent's words as they began walking down the steps getting closer to the throne, and Loki.

"Where is Odin?" Fandral asked almost despondently.

"Father's fallen into the Odinsleep." Loki informed them emotionlessly. "Mother fears he may never awaken again."

She did, even if the Queen refused to voice the fear, we knew it was there.

"We would speak with her." Sif called simply.

I couldn't help but bristle inside at the blatant disrespect from the so-called 'Goddess of War' towards her acting-King. However, the brief, badly-disguised look she shared with the Warriors Three commanded my attention instantly. I just knew they were going to be trouble.

"She has refused to leave my father's bedside." Loki informed them.

For the way his eyes narrowed I could tell he too had noticed the looks between those four, and the disrespect they were showing him. Thank the Spirits the Court had left! If they had acted like that in front of the Council, and the Nobles… I did not want to even consider just how much harder everything would have been.

I could sense Loki contacting me through our link, trying to convince me to keep calm. He was as annoyed as I was at Thor's friends, but we had to take the higher ground, especially with the positions we had. If we wanted to prove everyone we were a good Regent and Whisperer we could not lower ourselves to bickering with people who were so lost in their misconceptions of one person they couldn't see the risk there was of them doing far more harm than good with their thoughtless, almost petty, actions and words.

"You can bring your 'urgent' matter to me." Loki declared in a deadpan, before standing and banding Gungnir on the ground to reaffirm his position. "Your King."

I covered my mouth so as not to laugh, knowing he had addressed himself as such only to rile them up. They were making it all too easy!

For several seconds nothing happened, it was as if none of them knew how to react to that. Until, finally, Volstagg pressed his fisted right hand over his heart and dropped to one knee in respect. Hogun, Fandral and finally Sif, imitating the gesture.

Loki didn't say a word, just stood there, watching the four, waiting to see what they would do next. Sif seemed to be at a loss for words; did she plan to ask Odin something against Loki? It was possible, though I honestly never expected her to fall that far. Loki had always said she and the others were Thor's friends, not his and yet… I honestly expected, and believed better of them, at least she and Hogun in any case… it was disappointing.

"We would ask you to end Thor's banishment." She said eventually.

The glint in Loki's eyes the moment those words were pronounced told me he'd been expecting something like that, even though it hadn't occurred to me. Really? Was she, were they that stupid? To think things were that simple?

"My first command cannot be to undo the Allfather's last." Loki said seriously as he approached them a bit. "We're on the brink of war with Jotunheim. Our people must have a sense of continuity in order to feel safe in these difficult times."

I couldn't help but sigh as I noticed the looks Thor's friends kept exchanging. Really, I knew Loki loved to play word games, but did he have to make them even more suspicious? Things were bad enough already, why not just tell them that even if he got Thor back, the power couldn't be returned just like that, Thor had to earn it, following whatever rules Odin had placed; Thor had to learn whatever lesson Odin intended for him, to be able to regain his birthright. On the other hand, with how precarious it all was, maybe it was better for us to find out already who might be a threat to us, to Loki, right away; as compared to finding out while trying some convoluted measures (because we always ended up using those) to protect Asgard.

"All of us must stand together, for the good of Asgard." Loki finished his speech.

Sif's reaction was so sudden, she just couldn't stop herself as she practically jumped to her feet; she might even have rushed Loki in her blind fury if it hadn't been for Fandral and Hogun reacting just in time and holding her back with one hand each.

"Yes, of course." Fandral spoke in Loki's direction, in an attempt, perhaps, to diffuse the precarious situation Sif had gotten herself into.

"If I may," Volstagg called next. "beg the indulgence of his Majesty, to perhaps reconsider…"

They truly were idiots…

"We're done." Loki practically hissed.

I waited in the shadows until they left, before finally walking to Loki. He was staring at the ceiling, tension rippling from him, and anger. I imagined it had taken all his will not to strike out at Sif with how obtuse she was being.

Standing to my full height (which, granted, wasn't that much) I waved a silent dismissal to the Eihenjar present. They knew who I was and the authority I held; that, along with the fact that we weren't expecting any more guests for the day convinced them to leave the Throne Room in silence. Though I was quite sure at least two were just outside the doors, just in case.

"They're going to be a liability." Loki stated, without even having to turn to look at me, the moment the echo of the closing doors ended.

"I know." And I did know, as well as he did. "I will keep an eye on them."

"I need you to do something first." He informed me, finally looking at me.

"Whatever you wish." I curtsied dramatically, all the while smirking at him. "My King."

The laughter that spilled from his lips told me I'd achieved my objective, which was to help him relax, at least a bit.

"I need you to go to Midgard." He informed me in all seriousness.

"Midgard?" I wasn't expecting that.

"I've been watching over Thor all day." Loki explained with a tired sigh. "I… I don't know what exactly is going on there, but he's no closer to getting back his birthright than he was when Father first banished him…"

I noticed, in the minute change of tone, that he had reached his limit, and it wasn't because of Court, or Sif… or not only that, in any case. Slowly I went up the first half of steps on the dais, to the level where he'd been standing since the argument with Thor's friends, no noise in the room in those few seconds except the brushing of my dress against the floor.

"Asgard needs Thor…" Loki began in an almost practiced tone.

I didn't let him continue his play of words, placing a hand on his lips, watching him, reminding him silently that he need not lie to me.

"You need Thor…" I finally said the words he didn't dare pronounce.

"Yes…" That sole word seemed to break him.

For what might have been minutes, or hours I just stood there, strong arms wrapped around my waist, holding me as if I were a lifeline, the only lifeline… Loki on his knees, in front of me, head pressed to the middle of my chest; I noticed when he paced his panting breathing to mine, calming himself down.

"Find Thor…" He whispered against the folds of my dress. "Find him, talk to him, tell him… whatever you have to. Just make him understand that he needs to get his power back, he needs to come back I…" He shook his head. "If the plans for peace with Jotunheim don't work, if war breaks out…" He let out a breath. "He needs to come back."

"I know." I nodded. "I'll talk to Thor. I'll get him to wake up, to come back." I took a breath and then remembered something else. "And you better not even think about going to Jotunheim without me. Regent or no regent…"

"It would be safer…" He began.

"For me, but not for you." I countered. "While we might be able to separate considerably now, your magic stresses out whenever we aren't in the same realm. You need to be at 100% when you face Laufey, just in case… the last thing we need is for the Jotun to attack you and your magic not to be enough to protect you. Asgard wouldn't be able to handle the loss, nor would her Majesty, and I… I…"

I didn't even dare finish the sentence, I couldn't, the pain inside me was too great. In the end I didn't need to. Loki placed a kiss in the center of my chest, over my dress and it, along with the serenity he flooded our bond with were enough to calm me down.

No other words needed to be said. We stayed there for several minutes. With me just caressing his hair rhythmically, while he held onto my waist. For those few, precious minutes he wasn't Regent and I wasn't an Advisor, we were just two people supporting each other. However, we couldn't stay like that forever, regardless of how much we might want to, we'd duties to attend to, people, a whole realm that needed us. We couldn't let them down.

**xXx**

I stumbled slightly as I stepped out of the Shadow Paths in what looked like the middle of the desert; which meant I was nowhere near Maine, or Wales (the places I'd called home during my old life). Loki had guided my journey through the Shadow Paths (I could travel them, but was still pretty new at it, and hadn't yet learnt my way through Yggdrassil, so I needed someone to guide me whenever I was going someplace new).

It was cold, which was explained by the fact that it was the dessert, and it was nighttime. Still, I pulled the cloak (a dark-plum on the outside, soft lilac inside) tight around my form, pulling the hood to cover my face. Loki had made sure to conceal me with magic before sending me through, in such a way that others would only see me if I willed it so (and I only wanted Thor to see me, so…), but still, better safe than sorry.

I knew Thor was close, because Loki and I had anchored my travel to Mjolnir firstly, and him secondly (the hammer had to be the main anchor because, at the moment, had more power than Thor himself did). I was able to locate him magically almost right away, on the ceiling of a nearby empty shop (or at least it looked like it had been a store at some point). With a thought I jumped from the ground to the roof.

Thor was there, laying on his side on a sunbed and some cushions, I didn't imagine it would be too comfortable. And he wasn't alone, on a second sunbed was a woman, in her mid to late twenties, brunette, wearing jeans and with a jacket thrown over her arms and torso; she wasn't tall (though certainly not as small as me either).

"Who is she?" I couldn't help but blurt out the first thing that came to mind.

Thor reacted instantly, straightening up in the sunbed. He turned in my direction instantly.

"Who…?" He thought better before inquiring. "Nightingale?"

"It is I." I nodded before pushing my hood down.

"I was unaware that the Bifrost had been activated…" He commented quietly.

"I made use of means other than the Bifrost." I answered simply.

Thor just nodded absently. Loki had ways of traveling between realms without using the Rainbow Bridge, the Thunderer knew that; I wondered if he thought it was that simple, that anyone could do it, or at least anyone with magical capabilities… in any case, even if one of us were to try and explain it to him, it wouldn't make a difference, he would never understand, and it wasn't really of interest to him so, what would the point be?

"Why did you come here?" Thor asked, confused.

"Loki asked me to come see you." I answered honestly.

"Is he… is everyone alright?" Suddenly Thor became really anxious. "What has happened? Tell me please! Has Jotunheim declared war on Asgard? Please let me explain to Father what happened, maybe we could still solve…"

"I'm afraid there is no way I can help you contact the Allfather right now." I took a deep breath before stating in my most serious tone. "Your Father has gone into the Odinsleep, Prince Thor. According to what the Queen has said, he'd been postponing his rest for a long time, it was simply unavoidable. And of course, the stress of what happened the last few days… I suppose it didn't help matters any."

Thor winced.

"When will he wake up?" He asked, subdued.

"We do not know." I admitted quietly. "Like I said already, he'd put it off for a while, and the stress of your banishment, the threat of war… it didn't help matters any."

"Is Mother alright?" He asked next.

"She sits by the King's bedside." I told him. "She's sad, and fears for the worst, but keeps faith for the best." I sighed before adding. "If it means anything, Odin is a very powerful individual, there's no reason for him not to wake up, eventually…"

I considered painting things the worst way possible; but something told me that was not the way of convincing him to recover his powers; being depressed wouldn't help him, no, what he needed was to be motivated.

"Won't you ask me about Loki?" I inquired, noticing that little fact right then.

"You say he sent you here, he would have to be well enough to be able to do that." He said simply, though with a small smile.

Of all the things… I never expected Thor to use logic!

"Also, if Father is in the Odinsleep, and Mother has chosen to stay by his side… and I'm here. That would mean Loki has been made King…" Thor went on. "He's next in line, after all…"

"Regent." I corrected him.

"What?" The blonde certainly wasn't expecting that.

"You're the Crown Prince, Thor, Loki knows that, he would never try to take that from you." I explained to him as calmly as I could. "We suspected that at least some Council members, and a good part of the Court wouldn't take kindly to him being named King… so he has chosen to call himself Regent. He will protect the Throne, and Asgard until either the Allfather awakens again, or you go back and claim your birthright…"

"Go back…?" That seemed to shock Thor. "Can I come home?" His voice broke just slightly. "Can you bring me back with you…?"

"And have you leave your pretty friend over there…?" I couldn't help the coy smile.

"The Lady Jane is a very special woman… but she's not my family." Thor stated seriously, before returning to the pain topic. "So… can you…?"

"It's not that simple Thor." I sighed. "You can come back, make no mistake on that, but that is not dependant on me, but on yourself…"

"I know not what you mean, my lady…"

"I mean that even if I were to take your hand right now, pull you with me into the Shadow Paths and pull you all the way to Asgard… it wouldn't change the fact that right now you're mortal…"

"And mortals cannot set foot on Asgard…"

Well, that wasn't exactly true, as I was living proof of, but that was so not the point!

"Thor, you are meant to be a lot more than you are right now." I told him solemnly. "So much more… more than what you used to be before your banishment even… but you won't be any of that until you're ready for it. For the responsibility, and the honor: of your name, your family, your birthright… When you're ready, it will be there for you…"

For the longest time the banished Prince just stood there, looking at me with a mix of awe and respect, until he bowed to me respectfully.

"You are wiser than I will ever be, Lady Nightingale." He stated, before turning sly. "And you've been spending way too much time with my brother, if the way you dance and play with words is anything to go by."

"He's taught me a thing or two." I admitted with a shrug.

"Will you tell him thank you, for me?" He inquired. "For sending you tonight; and for keeping everyone safe back home."

"We're waiting for you Thor." I assured him. "I know you can find the way."

He nodded, though he didn't seem too convinced. That wouldn't do. We needed Thor! Too much for me to just give up.

"Thor…" I focused on my most compelling voice. "Make no mistake, Loki will do his best, for your family, and for Asgard… but there are some things that he just cannot achieve alone… Asgard needs you Thor, we need you… Loki needs you…"

The last part, if anything, seemed to have an effect on him.

"I will do all I can." He assured me with conviction.

It was what I'd been expecting. The moment when he finally made up his mind… I just hoped he would be able to solve the enigma of how to regain his birthright soon… preferably before the Jotun tried anything…

"Once again, thank you, my lady." He reiterated.

I smiled at him. Then, deciding I'd already said all I needed to, I turned to leave, however, in the move, somehow the crest slipped from the collar of my cloak.

"You are the Whisperer…" Thor murmured in a marveled tone. "I suppose I should have known. You are the perfect person for the job." He smiled. "You know, the day Father told me I would be King I decided Loki would be my Whisperer… it was only right, with him being my Brother, and as much Father's son as I am. And that way all of Asgard, all the Realms, would know I trusted none above him…"

I couldn't help the bright smile that came to my face. I'd always suspected something like that, but actually hearing it. It made me happy, and I knew it would make Loki happy too, to know how highly his brother regarded him…

"I must leave now." I told him.

"Of course my lady, I shall not take any more of your time." He nodded. "I imagine Asgard, and my brother need you, now more than ever."

I bowed my head to him, then, as I turned to leave, I couldn't help but want to leave him with something else before departing.

"You know… if the Allfather sent Mjolnir here, to this Realm, with you… I imagine there must be a reason." I commented in an almost flippant tone.

I did not wait for Thor to say anything about that comment. Instead I simply turned my back to him and jumped.

I landed on the street, silently, and began walking to the outskirts of the town. I'd pulled my hood back up; while no one should be able to see me, I felt better covering myself as fully as possible. Loki had told me that I needed to get as close to Mjolnir as possible before using the Shadow Paths to return, so its power might work as anchor on the return to Asgard as well (least I get lost in the Shadow Plane).

It took me a while but eventually I came pretty close to the temporary military facility that had been built around the spot where Mjolnir had landed; and, from what I'd heard, no one could move it from there. I got as close as I could without risking my image being caught by any possible cameras (I wasn't sure if the spell would cover that). However, before I could call on the magic running through my veins and step into the closest shadow, something called my attention: it was a black helicopter, with a round symbol, of what seemed to be an eagle with its wings spread, the initials S.H.I.E.L.D. painted on the bottom. However, that wasn't the truly shocking part. No, the shock came when I saw a woman with short chestnut colored hair and deep blue eyes, dressed in a charcoal-gray suit, step down from the copter. I knew that woman.

"Aunt Kathryn…" I couldn't help but breathe out in shock.

I didn't know if she could somehow hear me (maybe the spell did not cover that), or it was entirely coincidental, but she turned in my direction right then. I did not wait to see what (else) might go wrong, so I simply ran to the closest shadow, allowing myself to fall into it the moment I stepped fully on it. Then I was gone.

**xXx**

I did not tell Loki about seeing my aunt on Midgard, on the outskirts of the very town where Thor was spending his exile, or that she might have heard me… my mind just refused to process the possibilities, so how could I tell him anything? Instead I focused on other things: like our attempts to settle a truce with Jotunheim.

In the end it was decided that Loki and I would go alone. The council didn't like it. They kept insisting on us taking at least two guards. A moment came when one of the ladies said that if I was the problem, instead of taking me the Regent should take a guard he trusted.

"Stop that line of thought right there, councilwoman." Loki's voice turned dark as she spoke. "If it's a matter of trust I trust no one more than the Lady Nightingale, it's why she was chosen as the Crown Whisperer for the duration of my Rule. In the matter of security, it is no secret that I am a Sorcerer of enough ability to protect myself as necessary. And it has already been stated that if I were to arrive with a contingent of guards, the move could be interpreted as an Act of War… Which, Above All, We Want To Avoid!"

The Court had nothing to say to that. So plans were finalized, the trip would be made that very afternoon. Through the Bifrost so Laufey would see us coming and there was no room for a misunderstanding (or so we hoped); at least we knew if things got hard we both could use magic to protect ourselves and had a way of getting out quickly.

I slipped a bit the moment we landed in the middle of what, according to the registries, had once been the Main Plaza of Utgard, the capitol of Jotunheim. Loki reacted instantly, extending his arm to catch me and help me regain my footing. He turned to me, questions in his eyes, I just nodded silently. I could handle it, I would, I had to.

We just stood there, waiting for the Jotun we knew were coming, we didn't have to wait long. In less than a handful of minutes we saw a very big Jotun, who Loki telepathically identified to me as none other than King Laufey. Also, while we couldn't see them, both Loki and I could sense the dozens of Frost Giants surrounding us.

"Tell me why I shouldn't kill you." The King demanded harshly.

"We've come alone and unarmed." Loki declared simply.

Laufey took one look at me, small, curled inside my cloak, never moving from Loki's shadow (as we'd agreed I would stay).

"A princeling and a child…" The King of the Frost Giants muttered dismissively. "With what purpose have you come to our lands?"

"To talk peace." Loki replied simply.

"Peace…" Laufey repeated, then switched to shrieking. "Peace! You wish to talk peace! The last time you Asgardians stepped on our land the immature little crown prince was all for the slaughter; he, and the rest of you would have painted the black ice with your blood if it hadn't been for Odin's interference!" The ice seemed to almost shiver just by the sound of his voice. "I pronounce all Asgardians as Liars and Cowards!"

"It is true that our last visit did not go… well." There really was no better way of putting it, Loki knew even as he spoke. "However, the situation has changed."

"Really?" It was obvious Laufey did not believe.

"Thor has been banished to a mortal realm, until such a time as he's capable of understanding and attending to the responsibilities his birthright carries." Loki embellished.

"So the Allfather has finally done something about his oldest son's arrogance and recklessness." Laufey practically mocked. "How does that benefit me?"

"Thor is paying for his crime against your people." Loki stated. "In the meantime, I am here to renegotiate the truce between Asgard and Jotunheim."

"Only the King can make such negotiations…" Laufey muttered, mostly to himself, before focusing on Loki again. "So Odin has gone into his Sleep after all. With Prince Thor gone, that would make you King…"

"Regent." Loki clarified elegantly. "The Throne is not meant for me, it never was, but until such a time when the Allfather awakens or Thor recovers his birthright I shall guard the Throne, and Asgard with it."

"And what if I decided simply to kill you?" Laufey suggested flippantly.

Before either of us could move, Laufey lashed out, taking hold of Loki's neck; he didn't do it hard enough to break the prince's neck; but then again, we all knew the touch of a Jotun burnt (my situation notwithstanding) so he didn't expect to need to…

"You have no idea what I am." Laufey hissed with a smirk.

Then his skin began going blue, beginning on his neck, and expanding outwards, like a ripple. Until Loki was standing there, skin cobalt blue and adorned with tribal-like dark markings.

"Hello, Father." Loki hissed, voice full of sarcasm.

I expected Laufey, or someone else, to react at least somewhat violently to that, but none did. Laufey just cocked his head sideways, intrigued. Still, I stood my guard. At Loki's insistence I'd added gloves and a high-necked top to my attire, as well as changed my slippers for thick boots; all for warmth and to cover as much skin as possible to guard off the Jotun's frostbite (while I might be immune to Loki's touch, we couldn't be sure the same thing would apply to the touch of any other Jotun).

"Ah, the bastard son." Laufey nodded, as if it were nothing at all. "I thought Odin had killed you. That's what I would have done. He's as weak as you are."

"No longer weak." Loki retorted, holding back his true reaction to the offense. "I am now the ruler of Asgard."

"Only until either the King or the Crown Prince take the throne from you again." Laufey hissed almost malevolently.

"When they do I will still be a Prince, and one day I shall be Head Advisor." Loki was especially proud of that, ever since I told him. "Perhaps you should not have so carelessly abandoned me."

"Or perhaps it was the wisest choice I've ever made." Laufey declared in an almost malevolent tone. "I will hear you."

It was the best we could have expected, if we managed to survive the rest of the meeting I would consider it a victory.

Loki gave me a sign and, as we agreed, I stayed behind as he and Laufey moved some distance away to talk in some semblance of privacy. Loki wanted to make a show of their discussion being 'secret' from even his most trusted companion; but that's why trust was so important, I did not need to be with him, I knew he would do the right thing. So I just stood there, hidden beneath my cloak and hood, though I wasn't alone for long.

"Who are you?" A thick voice asked suddenly from behind me.

I reacted instinctively, spinning around, one hand already working on drawing a rune in the air, while my eyes swept the place, finding the best place to jump if I was attacked.

"I intend no threat to you, lady." He said right away.

It took a few seconds, but eventually I was convinced that he truly wasn't about to attack me, so I straightened up. When the Jotun let out a strangled sound that I could almost call a gasp I noticed a tiny detail: the hood had half-fallen off my head, revealing most of my features to him. I took a deep breath so as not to show my panic before pulling the hood back into place.

"You're no more than a child…" The Frost Giant muttered in shock. "Just who are you? What's so special about you that the Acting King of the Realm Eternal would bring you and no one else to a meeting with the Ruler of a realm threatening war… shouldn't he have brought the High Commander of the Army, or at least his most Trusted Advisor…"

He broke off at the end of the last word, and while the darkness was such that I had a hard time reading his emotions (I could only see as much as I did thanks to a night-sight spell Loki had placed on me before we left Asgard).

"I am the Regent's First Advisor." I informed him in my most formal tone.

"But you're just a child!" The Giant insisted.

"All you see is not all I am." I told him cryptically.

"Indeed, there must be something extraordinary about you, lady." He nodded.

"Was there a reason you chose to approach me?" I inquired, intrigued. "Considering that the rest of your race either wants to kill us, or ignore us, I find your actions… confusing."

"A reason I have." He nodded. "Regarding your 'talks of peace'… I hope you realize our King will betray you at the first opportunity."

"Oh, we know." I nodded calmly. "And I hope you realize the first opportunity might not be his."

The look he directed at me showed he wasn't expecting me to be so blasé about it.

"We want nothing but peace, the Regent was truthful about that." I elaborated. "But we are no fools, and Laufey's penchant for double-crossing, as well as his blood-thirst are well known. That we want to handle things peacefully means not that we are unprepared to deal with matters if your King, or anyone else, were to turn against us, against Asgard."

"I hope you are right." He admitted quietly.

"It is one thing for us to be prepared for someone double-crossing us." I told him suspiciously. "Yet for one of you to want to warn us…"

"Regardless what you might think about me and my people in general, my lady; most of us wish not for war." He stated calmly.

That comment did nothing except intrigue me further, I observed him silently, intently; there was something about him that nagged at me, something familiar, but I had no idea what it could possibly be. I only knew that that strange feeling of familiarity was, somehow, strong enough to set me at ease, somewhat. I wished for us to converse further, to see if that would help me understand the feelings the Giant was evoking in me; however, I did not get the chance as Loki and Laufey approached us once again right then.

"If anything changes the current plans I will send the details to you with my Advisor." Loki told Laufey as he signaled in my direction. "It is unlikely I will get another chance to visit Jotunheim with how jittery the Court is right now."

"Of course, the crowds must be kept happy." Laufey seemed to be smiling almost malevolently as he said that. "It's the greatest and most tiring truth of a ruler… or an almost ruler."

Loki did not let the jibe get to him, though I could sense it annoyed him greatly, but he ignored that, choosing instead to keep walking regally, as if unconcerned, he moved past me and in the direction of the Bifrost site. I knew better than to say anything in that moment, simply nodding at the Jotun I'd been talking to, only then realizing that I had never asked his name; still, I turned around and fell in step with Loki. We left Jotunheim almost immediately.

"We should have gone with the original plan and set him up for assassination." Loki muttered under his breath, right before the Bifrost was activated.

I closed my eyes so as not to roll them. I knew that had been his first plan, and while it was a good one (even if I would usually be against such things), there was too much risk of someone finding out something before everything was over and then there would be a risk of either the plan going south, or Loki being accused of treason (we disagreed on which would be worse). So I'd insisted on a different course of action (though I knew Loki was quite willing to resort to assassination the moment Laufey tried to turn against us). I just hoped that, whatever happened, things would go alright in the end.

As if Loki wasn't already stressed out enough from whatever had been said between Laufey and him… Heimdall just had to go and make things worse, complaining that he couldn't see Loki and I when we were in Jotunheim. And what made him believe that he had the right to see everything, everyone, all the time?! Then he had the gall to accuse Loki of treason… granted, Loki had done the things Heimdall accused him of, but the Gatekeeper saw everything just in black and white, he wasn't seeing the full picture… and I was probably too emotionally involved to be objective about anything related to Loki…

**xXx**

Thankfully, regardless of how tense the status quo might be (or maybe for that very reason), Loki wasn't expected to hold Court all day, every day. He spent some time either in the library doing research (mostly about Laufey, Jotunheim, the last war), planning for any possible outcome of the 'peace talks', he visited his mother, or would check over the Asgardian defenses and armies. During those times, when the 'Whisperer' wasn't expected to be shadowing him I would either visit the Queen (though Rue and Karin were taking good care of her, to the extent they were allowed at least), and the rest of the time I spent keeping an eye on Heimdall, Sif, and the Warriors Three. I wasn't sure which of them would be the first to turn against Loki and do something stupid; but they all were as likely to try, and I needed to keep an eye and be ready to stop them when the time came.

As it turned out, Thor's friends were the first ones to 'fall' (figuratively).

I watched from the shadows, while I could have occluded myself with magic, it really wasn't necessary. Even after five years knowing me, the four were still so blind that they wouldn't notice my presence unless I called their attention to me, myself. So I took advantage of that, keeping silent watch over them.

That particular afternoon Volstagg had spent most of the time I'd been watching eating, while Fandral paced the room, frustrated; Sif and Hogun just stood to a side, saying not a word. Then, right as I began to believe that things, that all of them, might not be as bad as I'd expected, they finally began talking:

"Our dearest friend banished, Loki on the throne, Asgard on the brink of war, yet you manage to consume four wild boar, six pheasant, a side of beef, and two casks of ale." Fandral practically snarled at his friend. "Shame on you! Don't you care?!

The blonde went as far as to attempt to throw the platter of food the broader Warrior was holding, however Volstagg stopped him.

"Do not mistake my appetite for apathy." Volstagg stated, annoyed.

I could have laughed at him, if it hadn't been for Sif's interference right then.

"Stop it, both of you!" She snapped. "We all know what we have to do, we're just too damned afraid to do it!"

Which meant I too knew what I had to do… It wasn't going to be easy, no, all the opposite. I knew those four were going to hate me before the end; and while they weren't my best friends, they were still dear to me, and I hated the idea of hurting them. However, I had made my choice, to stand by Loki, come what may; and I would do it, even if that meant having to act against others I called my friends… it was likely they would never forgive me, but as long as I had Loki, I could survive anything.

Still, even as I felt the Eihenjar standing just outside the room, waiting for my orders, I couldn't help but wait, wait until the last possible moment; hoping that the intervention would prove unnecessary in the end… all the while knowing I was hoping for the impossible.

"We must go." Hogun's declaration pretty much sealed the matter. "We must find Thor."

"It's treason, Hogun." Fandral muttered, he sounded almost scared.

I couldn't help the surprise, Fandral being reasonable?

"To hell with treason, it's suicide." Volstagg hissed in turn. "Now, shh! Heimdall may be watching! It's said he can hear…"

"Yes, yes, we know!" Fandral interrupted him with a snap.

"Thor would do the same for us." Sif insisted.

I decided they'd buried themselves deep enough by that point; it was one thing to accuse them of disobedience; if they went on I might have to charge them of treason, and that was one thing I did not like, and I was sure neither would Loki… or Thor.

"Heimdall shouldn't be your greatest worry right now." I declared, stepping out of the shadows.

All four of them froze in place instantly.

"Lady Nightingale!" Volstagg almost seemed to squeak. "You are here…"

"I am." I arched a brow, waiting to see what they would do.

"You know we're right, don't you?" Fandral asked. "All that's going on… it's insane. Thor needs us, we need to get him back…"

Sif stopped Fandral before he could bury himself deeper, directing a cold stare in my direction. She would be the first to realize that I wouldn't be on their side.

"Thor's needs should be of no concern to you." I informed Fandral emotionlessly. "As for the rest of what I heard… They are things that should have never been talked about so openly. Something you all know perfectly well. Really, I expected better of the dearest friends of Asgard's Crown Prince…"

"You know Thor is the heir to the throne, and Loki…" Fandral blurted out in a rush.

"Shut up Fandral!" Sif spat at him before turning to me. "You forget who you are talking to."

"The Crown Whisperer…" Hogun added quietly.

Fandral seemed to be too shocked to fully process what it all meant, though Volstagg's wide-eyed look showed that he did know.

"Guards…" I said simply, emotionlessly.

In an instant a dozen Eihenjar filed into the room and went to flank each of the Warriors.

"What's this…?" Fandral was in complete disbelief.

"You're charged with slander and blatant disobedience to directives laid down by the Lord Regent, guardian and holder of the Throne of Asgard." I stated solemnly.

Something in my words seemed to throw them all further into shock, a part of me wondered if they hadn't known about the Regent part… maybe if they had, they wouldn't have been so worried about Loki 'usurping the throne'. In any case, actions had to be taken, the situation was too precarious to just leave things alone.

All four Warriors tensed, but neither tried to fight back, or run away.

"Your orders, my lady?" The leader of the Eihenjar inquired.

"Take them to the dungeons." I ordered after a beat. "They are to be treated with the respect their position deserves. I truly believe their faults are naught but mistakes caused by the current stressful situation and their worry for Crown Prince Thor. And while it is understandable, laws cannot be ignored, not even for them. I expect that a night or two in the dungeons will be enough to cool their tempers."

"Of course my lady." The captain nodded. "Shall we inform the Lord Regent of this?"

"I shall inform him myself." I stated.

Or not… if I found a way to make things right on my own I was not going to worry Loki needlessly, he already had enough on his plate.

"Lady Nightingale." Another Eihenjar approached me then. "Heimdall wishes to see you."

I allowed my brow to furrow slightly, whatever the Gatekeeper wanted with me it couldn't be good. Still, I couldn't exactly refuse to see him, especially when there was no reason to do such a thing. Then there was his position, the kind of power he possessed; I was already keeping an eye on him, waiting for when he might turn against Loki, the last thing I needed was to provoke that very thing through my own actions.

A horse was readied for me soon enough. While I didn't actually have one of my own, there was one I favored: a gray mare with a mane of the lightest whiteish-silver.

When I reached the Observatory I found Heimdall standing near the edge of it, eyes fixed on the starry horizon; and while that was usual for him, I didn't enjoy being fetched like a disobedient child, only to have him ignore me when I arrived!

"You had Lady Sif and the Warriors Three arrested." He finally said.

No greetings, no pleasantries, straight to complaints… well, at least I knew where I stood with him. The very same spot I always had. Heimdall did not like me, and it wasn't hard to see why. The Gatekeeper prided himself on knowing when anyone, anything crossed into and out of Asgard, but he hadn't seen me coming. He had no idea who I truly was or where I'd come from. Only the fact that I was under the Queen's protection kept him from trying anything. However, we both knew we were playing in a different field, and for entirely different stakes now. If Heimdall decided to turn against Loki at some point, he would be turning against me too. There was simply no chance of any of that going well.

"The actions they were planning would have affected Asgard adversely." I replied simply.

"Asgard, or Loki?" The Keeper inquired purposefully.

"Is there a point to that question?" I asked in turn, knowing what he was insinuating but refusing to rise to the bait. "Loki is Lord Regent right now, he represents Asgard. Anything that would affect one, would undoubtedly affect the other too."

Heimdall just stared at me in silence, showing clearly how much he did not believe a single word I'd just said. Technically it was the truth, just not what I'd really been thinking when I'd decided to call the guards on those four. However, due to the position I held, the fact that I had the trust of both the Lord Regent and the Queen, Heimdall couldn't just countermand my orders (though he had some serious authority too); besides we both knew how little such a show of disrespect and rebellion would benefit Asgard.

"What they wish to do… it wouldn't have helped matters any." I tried to make him understand. "The last thing Thor needs right now is for those four to go and distract him; no, he needs to focus on the lesson the Allfather intended for him to learn, if he's to reclaim his birthright and return to Asgard soon."

"Do you really want him to return?" The Gatekeeper is challenged.

"What kind of question is that?" I honestly wasn't expecting such a veiled accusation. "What exactly are you accusing me of Gatekeeper?!"

"You know what I'm accusing you of, Lady Whisperer…" He practically hissed at me.

"Then let me be extremely clear on this matter: yes, I want Thor to come back, safe and sound, with his power and birthright. I want the Allfather to wake up. And for Jotunheim not to declare war on Asgard! However, as that's what you're accusing me of, or more precisely, what you're indirectly accusing Loki of; lets focus on Thor, shall we? Yes, we want Thor to come back."

"You are the reason he's gone. I don't know how… but I know that, somehow, you're connected to the Jotun that invaded the Realm Eternal the day of the coronation. It is no secret that Loki wishes not for Thor to become King."

"That's because Loki doesn't think Thor's ready to be King! And, regardless of his, or my, opinion on the matter; we would never do anything to hurt him! Much less to hurt Asgard." My voice turned cold in my anger. "It is one thing to distrust us, even think less of us, because we don't give you carte blanche when it comes to spying on our lives… but a very different one to so much as insinuate we have anything but the best and purest intentions regarding Asgard!"

"Loki is the God of Lies… and you seem to have learnt well under him, my lady."

I was quite sure I wasn't imagining the double-entendré but chose to ignore it, there were other, more pressing matters to focus on, instead of a slight against my honor and virtue.

"First Sif and the Warriors Three, and now you?" I asked testily. "Do you all intend to turn traitors against Asgard and the King?"

"Loki is not our King." Heimdall pointed out with a near smile. "He's not anyone's King, far as I remember, he refused the title, naming himself Regent."

"He's the current holder of Gungnir, guardian of the throne of Asgard, which makes him as good as your King." I retorted, before shaking my head. "You would betray him now, when he's trying so hard to protect the realm?"

"Better now than when he might get it into his head to turn against Thor, and Asgard…"

"So what? You think it's a better option to betray someone, in case he decides to betray you at some point? What if he was never planning on such a thing? What if, in the end, you turn out to be the only traitor? Or are you so self-righteous you cannot see how twisted your thoughts are?"

"With all due respect, you are biased, my lady."

"You are as well, Heimdall. Think I don't realize it? You know the truth about Loki's origins, I imagine you might have known all along. Is that why you distrust him so? Why you are so insistent on doing anything you can to make life harder for him? Have you considered the possibility that Loki might not be as bad as he is towards you if you didn't act the way you do?" I remembered something right then. "You claim this whole mess is Loki's fault, but tell me one thing, Gatekeeper, who allowed the six of them into Jotunheim, when there was a specific law prohibiting it? A law proclaimed by the Allfather himself, too! Most of the mess we're currently in derives from that very moment, from the mess that took place in Jotunheim, and you were the one to let them pass!" My voice turned harsh and cold. "You were so quick to send them through, didn't even give Loki a chance to speak, to stall, to give me time to find the Allfather and let him know what Thor was attempting so they could be stopped! Maybe I should be the one presenting accusations, asking if you wanted them all dead… because that's exactly what would have happened if the Allfather hadn't found them when he did!"

Heimdall didn't reply; I could only imagine he had nothing to say. It made me wonder if he'd never stopped to consider his own actions in the last few days, the degree of guilt he himself held regarding everything that had happened in the last few days…

"If you're done throwing useless and unfounded accusation around, I shall take my leave now, Gatekeeper." I told him stoically.

I didn't wait for him to say anything, I just left.

I went to see the Queen after that. Rue had just left a tray with tea and pastries just outside the King's chambers (even if she was chief handmaiden, she wasn't allowed inside). I nodded at her as I passed, taking the tray and carrying it into the bedroom. The Queen barely acknowledged my presence but that was alright, I knew she had other things on her mind. Eventually Loki joined us, he had with him a tray full of dinner (someone, probably one of the handmaidens) had told him where I was. We shared dinner in silence, keeping the sleeping King company.

I never did tell Loki about what had happened with Sif and the Warriors Three, or my tense conversation with Heimdall.

**xXx**

The next day there was Court in the morning. Then I dropped by Jotunheim (using the Shadow Paths) to spy on Laufey and his warriors a bit, confirm what we already knew (that they were planning an attack), and that they weren't fully ready just yet. I could also see that not all the Jotun seemed as eager for war as Laufey seemed to be, something the Jotun I'd spoken to before confirmed when I revealed myself to him briefly. I wasn't even sure I'd revealed myself to him, but there was still that sense of familiarity that made me trust him, at least to an extent.

Loki had asked me to dine that night with him, several highly influential members of the Council and the Generals of the army. It was to be a mostly informal affair, though we expected some questions to be asked regarding the 'talks of peace'.

However, before the dinner, I decided to go pay a visit to Sif and the Warriors Three, see if the day spent in the dungeons had helped calm them down (I did not know if the conversation with Heimdall had changed any, but at least he wasn't sending for me like an unruly child to insinuate Loki or I were traitors…).

The Warriors Three were in one cell, with Sif in another, though they were side by side and the wall dividing them was transparent like glass, allowing them to keep an eye on each other, and even talk if so they wished. Each of their cells had some basic comforts: beds, a small window to the outside, toilet (enclosed behind a low wooden wall for privacy), and on a table a tray that refilled with food and drink three times a day. The cells were on the first part of the prison, which was meant for low-threat prisoners, mostly drunks and the like who needed a night in a cell before returning to their senses.

The moment I stepped into the room I signaled for the Eihenjar to leave. While all good soldiers were expected (and could) keep certain things secret, I had decided beforehand that it was better if I kept the upcoming conversation as private as possible.

With a wave of my hand I deactivated the enchantment that kept the cells soundproof; it existed, on one hand, so prisoners wouldn't annoy the guards (especially the drunk ones who wouldn't stop singing idiotic songs, even though they couldn't even carry a tune), and sometimes so they wouldn't yell sensitive information in a fit of rage (like their notions of what Loki, and I, were 'really' doing). I waited until they'd seen me before speaking.

"Are you willing to be rational today?" I inquired.

"Rational...?" Sif practically hissed.

"Yes, rational, as in talking like civilized people rather than screaming false accusations at one another." I couldn't help but drawl at her.

For all answer she began screaming imprecations at me, seconded by Fandral. Volstagg looked like he wanted to say something but was too confused, and Hogun just watched the proceedings in absolute silence. When, after a full minute, Sif still wouldn't shup up, I made my decision.

"Very well, we shall have to try this again tomorrow, I guess." I informed her calmly.

Then I reapplied the silencing spell and left the dungeons with the same levity I'd arrived. Truth is, I wasn't as unaffected as I pretended to be. Despite Loki's efforts of reaching a new truce with Jotunheim, I'd seen him preparing a number of his warriors for battle. And while the Jotun I'd spoken privately with assured me that most of them did not want war, fact of the matter was that was exactly what we were going to get unless we could find a way of stopping Laufey without the rest of the Frost Giants turning against us... I was beginning to wonder if I should have let Loki go through with his assassination plot. I had thought it to be too much, and definitely a bad idea at the time, but in the current situation I couldn't find any other solution! And having four of the best warriors behind bars because they weren't capable of being reasonable and trust Loki wasn't helping matters any!

At least dinner with the council and commanders of the army that night went well enough. There were a few isolated comments made regarding my presence, both at the table and the fact that it had become known I was the Whisperer. Someone also commented about how no one knew anything of my past, but as it wasn't really the first time that someone was taken under protection of Asgardian Royalty and their past pretty much erased I knew that comment was mostly meant in jest. Even the hardest men were convinced by that night that I deserved my post and the Regent's trust (not for nothing I'd spent every free minute in the last few days preparing for anything that might come, not to mention all the history and law I'd read upon my arrival to the Realm Eternal, to make sure I wouldn't mess up somehow).

The next day went pretty much the same, until after the dinner, when Loki and I retired early with the excuse that the work of a Regent and Whisperer never stopped and we needed to discuss some of the security measures that were to be put into effect in case Jotun managed to infiltrate Asgard again (unlikely without Loki turning a blind eye this time, but miracles could happen, even for them).

We made it to what I'd begun seeing as Our Private Gardens, when he fell silent abruptly. I knew then I was right in my suspicions that he wanted to talk to me about something that had nothing to do with Jotun, battle, or Asgard...

"How was your latest visit with our 'friends'?" He asked suddenly.

There was no question about exactly what 'friends' he was referring to, I just sighed.

"Think, you did, I would not find out?" He inquired next.

"I was hoping..." I admitted, then quickly added. "And before you find a way to twist that into something awful, let me explain. It's nothing against you. I wanted not to bother you with something I believed I could handle on my own..."

That seemed to be enough to make him relax. I'd known my actions could turn against me, make it seem like I was keeping secrets for him because I did not believe in him, did not trust him; at least he knew me enough to believe me when I told him that was not the case...

"Still think you can handle it?" He asked, much more calm.

"I believe so, yes." I nodded, before adding in a lower tone. "What I know not is if they will be able to let go of their prejudice and their anger and be reasonable in time to be of any help..."

"Even if they refuse to see reason, we have enough warriors ready to fight for the protection of Asgard." Loki reminded me.

"True, but we both know they're some of the best."

"True. Lets hope they'll see reason then."

"You hope? Who are you and what have you done with my Maverick?"

"Yours, huh?"

I wasn't even fully conscious of what I'd said until he pointed it out to me.

"You know that would make you mine too, right?" He snaked a hand around my waist, pulling me flush against his body.

"Maverick..." I was caught completely off-guard by his move, left absolutely breathless.

"Tell me to stop..." He whispered in my ear. "Tell me this is not what you want.."

"I want... this... you..." I wasn't completely conscious of the words coming out of my mouth anymore, though I knew what I wanted. "Don't stop..."

I never made it to my chambers that night.

**xXx**

I woke to a cool hand lightly caressing my back. The feeling, while very soft, seemed absolutely perfect, so much I burrowed further into the covers. I didn't go back to sleep, but it still took a while for my still half-asleep mind to catch up to the fact that it wasn't normal for me to wake up to someone caressing my naked back... or for my back to be naked at all! (I had made a point on always wearing long nightgowns, in case there ever was an emergency such that I didn't get the time to pull my nightrobe on).

"Nightingale..." A husky voice asked me softly. "Good morning, lover..."

I allowed my mind to panic all of three seconds before quieting it rather forcefully. While I'd never planned on a situation as the one I found myself in that morning, it was in no way unpleasant or undesired. I'd loved Loki almost for as long as I'd known him, first as a dearest friend and confidant, later on as the only person I knew for sure I could trust in an entirely new world and then... as everything, my One and Only.

"Good morning, my love..." I whispered eventually, with a lazy smile.

I noticed how Loki's expression softened, realizing I'd kept quiet for longer than three seconds and Loki, being how he is, had probably begun to believe the worse. It wouldn't be the first time. So I reassured him with a quick kiss on the corner of his mouth.

"Do you call that a kiss?" He challenged mischievously.

What followed was something I would have called by many names, but far beyond a kiss, though, what do I know?

We couldn't actually stay in bed and have a repeat performance of the previous night, though I knew we both wanted it. Once again, our duty to Asgard had to come first. It was late enough that there was no time for me to return to my quarters, so I ended up taking a shower in Loki's bathroom.I knew enough magic to summon a change of underclothes from my own closet, and when I stepped back into the bedroom in my sleeveless slip Loki showed me the dress he'd conjured for me: it was dark violet, pure velvet, floor-length, wide-v neck; the sleeves, like in the other dresses, were tight to the elbows and wide from there down (they reached my fingers); as an additional detail, the new dress had a sash that looked like a strip of the same fabric of the dress embroidered with a gold celtic design; both sleeves had similar designs, though thinner, right above the elbow. Golden slippers complimented the dress-

"It's beautiful..." I whispered in awe at the attire.

"It's a gift." Loki told me, emerging from his closet.

I had to keep myself from staring after noticing he was wearing just the thin jade-green tunic he wore under his leathers and armor and black-leather breeches, bare feet on the carpet; his hair was still damp from his own shower.

"It's not conjured." He clarified. "I had mother's favored seamstress make it exactly in your size, in your favorite color."

It was, indeed, my favorite color. While some people had told me I looked well in green, as it brought out that shade from my hazel eyes; I prefered violet.

"Thank you..." I whispered in delight.

He helped me tie it up once I'd slipped inside it. It was truly a work of art, as magnificent as some of the gowns I'd seen the queen herself wear. While it seemed a bit much even with my position as Crown Whisperer, I loved it.

We had breakfast in the bedroom. Loki had arranged for a servant to deliver it while I was showering (so the servant wouldn't see me and gossip about my presence in the prince's chambers in my underclothes, so early in the morning). Then, right as we were about to leave, my lover stopped me in my tracks.

"Before we leave this room I want you to understand something." He told me with a quiet intensity. "About what happened last night."

"I have no regrets." I assured him with a smile, taking his hands in mine. "No matter what happens today, tomorrow, or in the times to come. I will never regret last night."

"I must express a regret then, if my actions have led you to believe that I wish to keep last night as a one-time thing..."

"You need not regret a thing." I assured him. "I just... I have no expectations."

"You should." He insisted, twisting the hold so my hands were in between his. "We did not talk about this beforehand, though we should have. What you gave me last night was something very precious, Nightingale; and I place on it the value it deserves."

"I don't understand..." I admitted quietly.

"I do no wish for this, for us, to be a one-night-stand, as midgardians are so fond of calling it. Nor do I wish for concubine. I want more..."

"More..." I could hardly breathe thinking about what he might be implying.

"I want you to marry me." He finally stated, pulling my hands to his face to kiss my knuckles. "Will you give me that honor, my Nightingale, my love. Will you be my wife?"

"Yes." I didn't even have to think about it. "I would love nothing more than being your wife Loki, my Maverick..."

He needed no more words, did not give me the chance to say them either, as he pressed his lips to mine and in seconds I was lost in a long, tender, yet somehow also very passionate, kiss.

It was almost a tragedy that we didn't get the chance to celebrate our engagement... but there were people who needed us, and we couldn't fail them.

**xXx**

We spent the morning in Court and, thankfully, either no one had noticed I wasn't in my chambers the previous night, or whatever servant did was keeping it quiet. After what would classify as a 'business lunch' we went to the training fields to supervise the activation of the protective measures Loki had planned in the last few days. Mostly it had to do with rotations of guards that would be keeping watch over Asgard as a whole (in case Jotun managed to infiltrate, someone would have to notice before they got anywhere close to the palace, or at least that was the plan... I hoped it would work).

Once that was done I decided to travel secretly to Jotunheim one more time, while Loki checked over the soldiers who were on standby in case of an attack.

I stepped out of the Shadow Paths in the same spot as I had the last two times I'd traveled in secret to the Winter Realm. What I wasn't expecting was to see the Frost Giant I had talked to before, seemingly waiting for me. I did not even get the chance to make myself invisible (though I was already occluded), he turned to me the moment I set both feet on the ice.

"We meet again, little lady." He nodded with what I could call a smile, in his lips.

He cocked his head to a side, as if considering something, before speaking again.

"You're different..." He murmured, still contemplative.

"Different?" I inquired, not understand.

"Yes..." He straightened up as he seemed to finally understand it. "The Touch of Winter."

"Touch of Winter?" I repeated, feeling especially confused.

"Yes," He nodded, sounding almost eager. "It's a mating mark."

"Mating mark!" I practically squeaked at that.

"Yes, it tells me that you're mated to Prince Loki..."

"Will everyone here be able to... to tell?" I didn't know how to put it.

"Not really." He admitted to my relief. "I can tell because I've been in close proximity to you several times and can notice the difference. Also, because of your Loki's own connection to me... it makes it easier."

"Loki's connection to you?" Yet another thing I did not see coming.

"I thought you would have realized it already, because of the similarities in our markings." He commented, signaling to his body in general.

And suddenly it dawned on me. The familiarity I'd picked up on from the very moment I met the Jotun, the very (subjective) reason I'd chosen to trust him (to an extent at least). I'd seen Loki as a Jotun just once, and I hadn't really memorized everything about him, but my subconscious had remembered enough to know that those markings were good...

"Yes..." I answered eventually. "I have... I did notice. I knew there was something familiar about you, I just hadn't made the connection yet."

"I am Helblindi Laufeyson." He introduced himself for what I realized was the very first time.

"Pleasure. I'm Nightingale." I introduced myself in turn. "Some have taken to calling me Lady Whisperer recently, due to my position as Advisor to the Lord Regent."

"Then the pleasure is all mine, Lady Nightingale Whisperer."

Done with the pleasantries I turned to the side, the direction I usually went when I wanted to spy on Laufey and his warriors.

"It's not a good idea for you to go there right now, little lady." Helblindi told me quietly. "While I know your magic is strong, there is a chance Laufey would be able to pick up on the Winter Touch on you, just like I did, and for even more reason."

"More reason?" I felt like a parrot, repeating so many things.

"Yes, you see, Loki is his first-born." Helblindi clarified. "If he'd been the child of Farbauti, our King's mate, Loki would be next in line to be King."

I remembered Laufey's words from that day: _Bastard Son_, apparently he'd meant them more than I imagined at the time.

"Do you know who Loki's birth-mother is, or was?" I asked, imagining it was something he would want to know.

"That's is something no one but Laufey himself knows." The Jotun replied. "Though, whoever birthed him, I imagine was not Jotun."

Which would explain why Loki was a runt (at least compared to the Giants). I began considering if I should just leave, when I noticed something else.

"You do not call Laufey, father." I commented abruptly. "Is that common in this realm, or is there some other reason for your choice?"

"Curious you would catch up on that." Helblindi commented, before finally answering. "It is a choice, I give him no title he does not deserve. Truth is, I hold as little respect for Laufey-King as he does for me. As far as he's concerned I'm a disgrace and no son of his, only because I have not his thrist for blood, war and destruction."

"A King should be wise enough to think about his people and not just his own desires." I could not hold back my tongue. "And should know better than to desire things that will do nothing but bring pain and ruin to his people."

"I believe as you do." Helblindi agreed, with another of his smile. "Regretfully, not everyone does." He stared at me seriously. "You came here to find out about Laufey's plans: he plans an attack. His youngest son Byleistr will accompany him, and with them at least a half a legion of warriors. They are foolish enough to believe they can catch Asgard unaware, that they can survive, even win this war they insist on instigating!"

"Even if I wasn't here right now, if I hadn't been here the last few days, it wouldn't work." I let him know. "Asgard is ready for an attack. It has been since Loki and I returned after our attempts at talking peace with Laufey."

"I imagined as much." Helblindi seemed to almost smirk as he added. "Whoever your Loki's bearer was, he must have gotten his brains from her, it certainly wasn't from our King."

"Ha!" I couldn't help the half laugh, half snort that escaped me at that comment, but then I had to say something else. "Whoever gave birth to him matters less than the one who sired him. And Queen Frigg is one of the wisest women I've met in my life..."

Helblindi nodded half-absently at that.

"They will attack soon." He pulled our conversation back to the topic of importance. "I know not the details. Since I have no interest in war unless it is to protect me and mine, they see no need in keeping me informed. It is possible I will find out once they're ready. After all, and regardless of how much Laufey might hate it, hate me; with both him and Byleistr leaving for battle, someone has to stay and keep order. And that person is going to be me."

Something occurred suddenly to me as my brain processed that, however, I didn't dare to so much as voice the question in my mind.

"If they were not to return, I would be King." He answered anyway.

It was a hope I wasn't expecting; one I was almost sure Loki would be surprised by as well. It meant there was still chance for peace with Jotunheim... we only had to make sure Laufey and Byleistr were gone first... once again I wondered if I should have Loki run with that assassination plan of his... In any case, it was too late to change plans. We'd have to make due with the one we were already on.

"Lady Whisperer..." Helblindi was abruptly very solemn. "I have given you all the help I possibly can in the last few days..."

I did not need him to finish the sentence, I knew already what was coming, it was only to be expected really. It was not a matter, like some might believe, of 'no one doing anything without expecting something in return'; no, it was a matter of honor, of debts and the payment of those debts. The help Helblindi had given me in the last three days had me in his debt, and if that help ended up saving Asgard the debt would extend to the rest of the realm indirectly. So it was only right for me to pay back that help in a way that satisfied the honor of both of us.

"It is true, you have helped, and honor demands I pay back my debts, Asgard's debt." I told him with all seriousness, so he would know I knew what was going on.

"I ask something, not for me, but in the name of another, who cannot ask for himself." The Jotun told me cryptically. "I can give no details at this time. But it is someone, an innocent, who will need your help before the end."

"Someone innocent? A woman? A child?" I inquired, wanting more details.

"The details I cannot speak of." He insisted. "I know it is not right, for me to ask so much while giving so little... but this person is innocent..."

"I will always help an innocent." I finally told him. "Even without knowing everything, I can promise you right now that whoever this person is, if they are innocent I will do everything in my power to see to their safety."

"And then our debt of honor will be repaid. I knew I could trust you, my lady." Helblindi bowed his head at me. "When the time comes, they will carry the warning. Then you will know all you need to know."

More cryptic words, but there was little I could do about it.

"May the winds carry you to your destiny in safety and the water look after you with every step you take." Helblindi spoke in a very ceremonial manner.

I realized subconsciously that those words were important, to him, to his culture. And I couldn't help but respond in kind, not with words of Asgard, but words I remembered from the far past, from the mouth of the mother I'd hardly any memory of:

"May the blessing of light be on you, light without and light within..." I whispered, with a thick accent and a cadence of almost forgotten whispers.

Helblindi didn't reply to my words, I wondered if he did not understand them, did not care for them, or just did not find a need for a reply. I said no more, simply focusing and letting myself fall into the shadow I was already standing on (most of Jotunheim was always in shadows).

I had no idea who exactly Helblindi intended for me to protect. The appellative of 'innocent' seemed to imply that it was a child but, why would he think that a Jotun child would be safer on Asgard than on their own home-realm? And if it wasn't a child, who then? A woman? Same doubts. Unless, could he be talking about someone from another race? A prisoner of Laufey's perhaps. I had no idea, and I would likely not know until the fight was about to begin.

Knowing that we were running out of time I rushed to find Loki.

**xXx**

As it turned out, the lunch had been a late one, and I'd spent more time in Jotunheim than I ever planned to, so it was already night by the time I made it back to Asgard. Loki, of course, hadn't gone to sleep yet; I knew that aside from the night we'd spent together he'd spent most of that time in the last week making plans and contingency plans to make sure we were prepared for the Jotun attack when it came (as we always knew it would).

Rue told me that the Queen had retired for the night already, and she'd shared evening meal with her son, so I decided to go to the kitchens for something to eat. It was until I was there that I realized it was even later than I expecting, around midnight even. It made me ponder if I should go looking for Loki either in the library or his private office, or go straight to his bedroom... or mine. While we may consider ourselves engaged, no announcement had been made, and I did not even want to begin to imagine the kind of rumors that would be going all around if anyone noticed me spending two nights in a row in Loki's chambers.

It had been bad enough with the room I was assigned, the fame it had. The rumors had run rampant then, until Loki, Thor and his friends had stopped them, defending my honor and my virtue with words, and even fists when necessary. It had not mattered how young I was, on one side because no one knew my age, and on the other because a child would have never been sent to be a handmaiden, so I was always treated as an adult. However, a lot had changed, Thor was gone, his friends hated me and Loki... he had enough on his plate to worry about petty people gossiping behind our backs.

In the end I decided to go looking for my love. I told him everything I'd talked about with Helblindi. He didn't seem surprised about the Jotun being his brother, though he was honestly surprised about there being a chance for peace. My Maverick was more reticent than I about the open promise of helping protect Helblindi's 'innocent', but he agreed that the honor debt needed to be paid. If it became too much of a problem we would have to consider alternatives, like arranging safe passage to Midgard or some other realm, or keeping them hidden; though there was no way we would allow whoever the innocent was to end up hurt. According to Loki there was serious Ancient Magic in things like honor debts, and in promises related to them, the last thing we needed was to renege on the promise of payment of one, there was no way of knowing how far the consequences of such a thing would go; on the positive side, it also meant that Helblindi would be helping us with the warning, and later the peace treaty.

After my recounts of the talk with Helblindi, Loki grew even more focused. Drawing battle plans, constructing scenarios, preparing contingencies. I stayed with him, even though I was no strategist (I simply despise war too much to even try and plan something related to it... unless it's something related to shielding, evacuation and such). In case of battle I was to keep an eye on the healers and the spellweavers in charge of shielding and covering whoever needed to evacuate, keeping Loki informed of any changes that might be made to his plans so he could adapt (We all know no battle plan survives contact, but we could still do our damn best to try).

I knew not how long I was there, but at some point I began drifting off. Loki woke me up with a kiss and a cheeky smile, telling me to go to bed; his or mine it did not matter, as he'd little hope of retiring any time soon, not with the threat of an attack at any moment. I had every intention to do as he'd bid, but somehow, in the end, I didn't. Instead of going to my chambers I wandered down, into the dungeons. I wasn't sure why I was doing it when, by all means, I should have expected the Warriors to be sleeping already. And yet they weren't, and it was as if a part of me had know they wouldn't be.

With a wave of my hand the Eihenjar on guard duty left and the silencing spell lifted.

"Good evening." I nodded politely at them.

"I think it's actually closer to morning by now." Fandral commented in a deadpan tone.

I shrugged, I did not know, it wasn't like I had a watch and could check on the time... though I did not doubt his words. However long I might have been with Loki, it was long past midnight; the Spirits know how long before dawn, though certainly closer than dusk, by that point.

"We did not believe you would be coming anymore..." Volstagg commented quietly (for him).

"Whatever you might think, my absence had nothing to do with you." I told him honestly. "I've been terribly busy all day, we all have."

"What's happening?" Sif inquired. "We hear people moving around all day, orders being shouted, but we know not what's going on."

"So you've decided to finally be reasonable and listen for a change." I couldn't help the verbal slap before shaking my head and moving on. "We're getting ready for battle."

"Battle?" Fandral was the only one able to speak past his shock. "Has Jotunheim declared war after all then?"

"Not exactly." I sighed, knowing I couldn't exactly explain things to them, I did not trust them enough. "We know they will be attacking though. And it's not even all of Jotunheim. Laufey is insane, and he and one of his sons have managed to pull together a group of warriors, have been readying them for an attack against Asgard. The rest know the endeavor is doomed to failure, but Laufey just won't see reason. So we've been getting ready. There are guards patrolling the streets, to make sure that if anyone manages to infiltrate the realm, we will know before they get to the Vault, or worse, the Royal Wing! Legions of soldiers are on standby, the healers are ready, and spellweavers stand guard by shields and evacuation routes to aid in the protection of the women, children and anyone else who may need help in case of war. According to my 'informant' we can expect an attack in the next twenty four hours, seventy two at the most... though I'm betting for it to happen before the day ends."

"Then why are we still here?!" Sif demanded. "We're warriors, some of the best. We should be out there, preparing for battle! Not sequestered in these cells with nothing to do."

"True, you would be of great help in the battle to come." I agreed.

"Then why..." Sif began.

"Yet you're still here." I continued, ignoring her. "Because I do not know if I can trust you. Will you follow my orders, Loki's orders, or fight against them, maybe even try to countermand them? Will you focus on the enemy, on Laufey and his Warriors as the enemy, or will you still see Loki as such and put his life, all of ours really, at risk in the middle of battle? Worse even, will you bite your tongue, keeping your pernicious thoughts to yourself, or will you run your poisonous tongue and harm Loki's reputation, now that Asgard needs him more than ever?"

"What about you?" Hogun seemed to be the only one to notice that little detail.

"I'm not the one on charge." I retorted easily.

"Maybe not officially, but you're the Lady Whisperer." Hogun insisted. "In the event of a catastrophe the people of Asgard will turn to you as much as they will turn to their Regent."

"I am of little importance in the grand-scheme of things." I replied blankly. "My reputation, my standing, and anything else you might think of, is of little concern to me as long as it affects not others like Loki, and my Queen, negatively."

"You're the one Loki holds dearest." Volstagg commented, in a tone that suggested it was something he was realizing just then.

"And I hold him in the same regard." I nodded with no hesitation. "But such things are of no importance in the current circumstances."

"So, we are to stay in these cells, unable to help in the war to come, because you do not trust us to be the Warriors we've been trained to be?" Sif challenged.

"If it were Thor in charge your loyalties wouldn't be in question; if it were practically anyone but Loki ruling, really." I retorted with a tired sigh. "But the fact is that the current Lord Regent is, indeed, Loki. And I have to make sure that no one threatens his standing, not right now." I shook my head. "So then, convince me to trust you Sif, if you can. Or better yet, tell me this, were you in my place, would you trust yourself?"

She did not answer, but she did not need to, the silence was answer enough.

"What is to be of us then?" Volstagg asked quietly.

"You will probably stay here until either the Allfather awakens or Thor comes back, whichever happens first." I shrugged, it wasn't something I hadn't planned, exactly. "Then we will all deal with the consequences of our actions."

"Is Thor alright?" Fandral chose to focus on that detail. "You speak of him coming back. Is such a thing even possible?"

"He was banished..." Sif began.

"It is possible." I interrupted her calmly. "Like the Queen said, the Allfather never does things without a reason. He expects to gain something, or more precisely for Thor to gain something, from this experience. Once Thor has learnt whatever it is he is meant to learn, he will regain his birthright and power, and will be able to come back. We do not know what the lesson is supposed to be exactly... but we do know that Mjolnir will return to his hand when it has been learnt. Also, you need not worry about Thor, he has found friends among the people of Midgard, people who are willing to help him in his quest..."

While I hadn't been there long enough to find out much about the humans Thor was staying with, Loki had told me of the things he could see from the throne, of Jane Foster, Darcy Lewis and Erik Selvig; also of the secret agents standing guard by Mjolnir. The three first knew who and what Thor was, they believed him, at least to a point, and were willing to help; Jane especially, according to Loki, seemed to be sweet on the blonde. I had hope for Thor, and for all of them, to come out of that particular 'quest' much better than they went in.

I stood there, in complete silence for a few minutes, until eventually I decided there was no point. So I simply waved the spells back into place and left the dungeons without a word. One question kept spinning in my mind: what good is it to know what you've done wrong, when you're so completely unwilling to make things right? In the end, knowing meant nothing when they were not willing to help make things better.

Right after leaving the dungeons I couldn't help a desperate need for air and rushed to the closest door outside, ending on a platform/veranda of sorts (I was on a side of the palace that was several feet above street level). There I stood against the wall of the palace, looking at the stars, trying to focus myself again.

"Stupid, proud Sif..." I muttered out-loud.

While a part of me understood her, the fact that deep down she had (or believed she did) nothing but the best intentions... but she wasn't helping me, wasn't helping anyone. Without her and the Warriors Three I had no idea who to put in charge of palace security, that was supposed to be their post (I couldn't really send them with the army when they didn't know the plans).

It was depressing that even when Sif, Fandral, Volstagg and Hogun finally deign to be reasonable and talk to me, they still couldn't see that Loki and I were only trying to help. They still saw us as the enemy, my Maverick especially... made me wonder if they'd so easily forgotten all the times my love had been instrumental in them surviving something, in 'winning' their battles and being successful in their 'adventures'.

I was still half-lost in the thought when, almost without noticing, I reached for the object I kept hidden in the folds of my dress (I always had it on me, hidden somewhere in whatever clothes I wore; though that gown Loki had given me had a small, resistant pouch sewn in specially for it). The object was a dagger, a very elaborate dagger. It had been a gift from Sif, who said they'd found it during an adventure of theirs in Alfheim (or something like that); the Sword-maiden had decided to gift it to me because she connected the design to me. And it was that the guard of the sword was carved into a triquetra, like my earrings. The pommel, just big enough to hold the dagger with one hand, was smooth, and both it and the handle seemed to be made from bleached bone. Aside from that, the most amazing detail of the dagger was the fact that the blade (double edged, smooth, the length of my open hand) was made completely of crystal, the hardest, most resistant glass I'd ever encountered, but still.

It was absolutely beautiful. Almost seemed more like a decorative piece than an actual weapon. Still, Sif had insisted on teaching me how to wield it; teachings Loki had expanded on, as he was the one most experienced in using daggers as weapons. I was no warrior and would never be, but at least I had a weapon I knew I could use effectively if it was ever necessary. It also made me think of the friendship I'd once believed was forming between the Warrior-Lady and I... had it never been there, or was her hate of Loki so great she couldn't even consider the possibility that she might be wrong about him?

Truth was, neither Sif nor the Warriors had ever trusted Loki, I knew that; more than once it had been the topic of conversation between my beloved and I. It was the main reason why Loki, and even I, referred to them as Thor's friends... Thor's, never ours. Maybe, like Loki claimed, it was because we weren't warriors like them; though Loki certainly was warrior enough, even if he chose to do war with words and magic rather than with blades and fists. I was inclined to believe the former to be harder and more worthy of praise than the latter, but maybe I was just biased, like in everything else that concerned Loki.

A part of me wondered if there was something we could have done differently, any of us, but especially Loki and I, something that might have helped make people like Thor's friends trust us, support Loki when he needed it the most; another part of my brain insisted there was nothing to be done, and even if there was, why should we be the ones to change? In any case, it was much too late to dwell on such things.

I was so very close to falling asleep, right there, on my feet, leaning against the palace's outer wall, when I suddenly became aware of someone calling me:

"Lady Whisperer!" They were calling repeatedly, like searching for me. "Lady Whisperer!"

I realized then that the spot where I'd gone to take some air wasn't very well-known; even more, one could easily miss the door out, so I returned inside the palace, right in time to see a servant rushing by, he was the one calling.

"Yes?" I asked calmly.

"My lady!" He exclaimed, bowing to me instantly. "We've been looking everywhere for you!"

"I had stepped out to get some fresh air." I half-explained, though I knew I need not. "What seems to be the emergency?"

"There is a visitor, my lady." The servant informed me. "An individual wearing a thick cloak and hood, even with the heat; they refuse to reveal themselves to the guards, stating they will speak with no one but the Lady Nightingale Whisperer..."

In an instant I knew who that hooded individual must be, only one person had referred to me combining Loki's nickname for me and my newest title...

"Take me there." I instructed the servant immediately.

On the way the servant explained that the newcomer had seemingly 'come out of nowhere'. Most hadn't even noticed him/her until he/she insisted on getting into the palace, and when the guards refused to allow entrance, the visitor demanded to meet me. He/she was escorted to one of the smaller visitor-rooms, and was surrounded by a contingent of guards, yet still refused to say a word, or show his/her face until I arrived. The Eihenjar believed he/she was carrying something, judging by the shape beneath the cloak, which only made them all the more nervous.

The moment I entered the room where the unexpected visitor awaited, I noticed several things: the figure, while somewhat bloated in the front, still looked slim, much too small to be a Jotun, though still about as tall as most Asgardians (it lent credence to my theory of someone from another realm having been in Jotunheim... maybe a prisoner of Laufey's? Someone Helblindi wished to save, for whatever the reason). That wasn't all, the cloak was a mix of gray, blue and white, obviously meant to help the wearer camouflage in the snow and ice of Jotunheim.

I waited in the shadows for a second, just enough to make sure I looked presentable enough (the last thing I needed was for a foreigner, messenger, innocent, or whatever else they might be, to see me as anything less than I was meant to be), then I stepped forth, standing in front of the newcomer, who seemed to be somewhat curled upon him/herself...

"I understand you called for me." I said seriously.

"Are you the Lady Nightingale Whisperer?" A voice from beneath the hood inquired.

I noticed that while the voice sounded hoarse, it seemed almost faked, as if the individual were trying to keep his/her true voice concealed; and yet some of it slipped through, a certain rhythm to the way she/he spoke, a cadence hidden in the words...

"I am." I nodded calmly. "I suppose Helblindi sent you, for he is the only one who's ever addressed me by my name and title together."

"You suppose well, my lady." The newcomer agreed.

The voice lost all its roughness, suddenly sounding tilting, almost musical. The Eihenjar took notice of that, and by their expressions I could tell the voice was telling, as far as they were concerned, even if I still could not understand.

"My name is Elanor." The female announced proudly as she pushed back the hood of her cloak, revealing porcelain skin, golden hair and sapphire eyes. "And this is Hákon..."

The moment she let go of the cloak covering the object in her hands, the baby in her arms, with its light-blue skin and a tuft of black hair on his head, I was rendered speechless.

And then the blaring sound of the war bells broke the silence.

* * *

Hope you liked this and will like what's yet to come.

People must have noticed by now that Nightingale is quite different in this fic than she is in others. She's just nineteen, yet she has an attitude that the 'other versions of her' never had; that's due to a quite simple fact: Silbhé was pretty much ripped out of her old life at fourteen. And not only that, at that age people began treating her as an adult, gave her rights and responsibilities as one, that has had an effect, as you've thus far, and will see in the chapter yet to come.

Coming next update: the Jotun's are attacking on several fronts and our main characters will need to make use of all their gifts to stop them in time. And regardless of how much changes... some people just are meant to end up involved in the mess!


	3. Vows

Since I don't remember if I've said this yet in this fic (though I know I've forgotten to say in several already) I don't own Thor (neither the character nor the franchise), or anything you recognize from Marvel (either comic or Cinematic Universe). Only Nightingale, her story and family belongs to me, and the things you might not recognize from canon (where I took my liberties to fit my plans).

Having said that, on with the final part of this AU!

* * *

**Vows**

Promises form bonds, and sometimes those bonds shape the world.

For a few seconds the war bells drowned all other sound, all thought inside my own head even. Then, in a moment, I was completely focused.

"Eihenjar to your battle stations!" I called loudly with all the authority I was capable of.

In an instant the majority of the soldiers in the room left in a hurry. They each knew where they were supposed to be, so I need not worry about that; two, however, chose to stay behind.

"With all due respect, Lady Whisperer." The one closest to me said. "I believe the Lord Regent would not like it if we were to leave you alone with an unknown..."

A part of me wanted to argue that I was perfectly capable of protecting myself; however, the larger part of me knew he was right, so I nodded, signaling for him and his partner to stand guard by the door while I talked to the 'messenger'.

"It was my belief you were supposed to come in time to warn us of the attack..." I commented off-handedly, though I was still worried by the matter.

"I bring warning of an attack that should worry you far more than the one being attempted right now." Elanor informed me. "Right now a suicide squad is trying to get into Asgard by forcing the Bifrost open. It is a move doomed to failure, of course. However, while all your eyes and forces are focused on your Rainbow Bridge, the true attack will come from a different point..."

"The Hidden Roads." I did not need her to finish the sentence, it was obvious enough, so I turned to the guard. "Inform the Lord Regent of what has been revealed. A squadron is to back the Gatekeeper, just in case; but the brunt of the army needs to focus on what's yet to come."

"Immediately, my lady." One of the guards left right away.

"Is there anything else I should be aware of?" I asked, turning back to Elanor.

"I... Lord Helblindi said there was something else, something they did not inform him of." Elanor told me quietly. "He heard Laufey and his youngest son talking about 'making the bastard a favor he would never be able to pay back', and 'solving the problem of the line of succession'..."

I had to actually stop and ponder that. Making the bastard, they were obviously talking about Loki, a favor he would never be able to pay back? Then, right as I ran the second part of her statement over in my mind again, the part about 'the problem of the line of succession', it hit me. I remembered how Loki had stated he was only Regent, as the Throne was still Odin's, and would one day be Thor's, never his. Laufey had even mocked him by saying his ruling of Asgard was only temporary... If the Jotun King thought that he could put Loki on Asgard's throne, and get my Maverick indebted to him by that, through a 'Favor', a 'Debt of Honor'.. well, it was quite obvious Laufey knew nothing about the son he'd abandoned so long ago. However, that did not erase the risk that meant to a certain people...

"He means to kill the Allfather in his sleep..." I gasped my realization out-loud.

And the very people who were supposed to stand guard on him and the Queen were still in a cell, because they simply couldn't be reasonable!

"You!" I spun straight at the guard. "Find Loki! Tell him to meet me in the Royal Wing as soon as possible! It's an emergency!"

"My lady..." He began.

"I know you think I need a guard, but this is of great urgency." I insisted empathically. "If we do not hurry the King might be killed!"

That, finally, seemed to make the soldier react, as he rushed away.

"You come with me" I told Elanor.

"Where are we going?" She asked me.

As she hefted the baby in his arms I noticed she was wearing a high-necked, long-sleeved tunic, and a veil covered a side of her face, enough to make sure no part of the baby's skin would come in contact with her... to avoid frostbite. I also remembered the baby, who I still had no idea who he might be, though it was obvious enough he must be a runt, which was reason enough to get him out of Jotunheim. I got a crazy notion right then: What if he was Helblindi's son, and the Jotun Prince was trying to protect him by sending him away? By sending him to the one who was the same? After all, much as we may not want to think much about it, Loki was a Jotun runt, and he was fairing just fine in Asgard; maybe that was what Helblindi hoped for the boy... Hákon? Whether the child was his or not, and whatever connection Elanor might have to both, I knew not, and in that moment I had a lot more things to worry about.

"To where you'll be safe until this madness is over." I told her eventually.

In no time at all I reached the handmaiden section of the Royal Wing. The common room was empty, but it did not worry me, as I knew the Queen would have sent them to help the healers. It was part of the plan. All but Rue, and maybe Karin, would have gone there already; those two would probably be staying by the Queen's side.

I guided Elanor straight to my room, where I immediately locked the door; going as far as using a magic lock and telling the woman to place her hand on the door to make sure no one but she would be able to open it.

Then I rushed to my drawers, to retrieve a handful of healing vials, the ones I could carry in another secret pocket my dress had (this one inside my bell-like sleeves).

"You must stay here, until it's all over." I told Elanor as soon as I was ready. "Here you and the baby will be safe."

"How will I know when to come out?" She asked. "And if something happens to you, who will see to the fulfillment of the debt's payment?"

"I will make arrangements for that." I assured her. "Open the door to no one but me, unless..." I had to accept there was a chance I would not be coming back, so I improvised. "If someone tells you the full name Helblindi has for me, and shows you these." I signaled to one of my earrings, the first thing I could think of. "I vow to you, whatever happens to me, and even to the Lord Regent, the favor will be payed. You and the baby will be safe."

"He is the one that matters." Elanor pointed out quietly. "The favor is about Hákon, not about me, my Lady Whisperer..."

"You will both be safe." I emphasized.

She nodded, and I could see the gratefulness in her eyes. She had done a dangerous journey, seeking to do as Helblindi bid, and to get some hope for the baby, while holding no hope for herself. She was a truly selfless person, and I wasn't leaving her alone. Whoever she might be, to Helblindi, to the baby, to Jotunheim as a whole, and in her own right, I would do my best to keep my vow to her as much as the one I'd made to Helblindi before.

With that I nodded one last time at her before leaving the room though the second door. Only stopping long enough to seal it like I'd sealed the first.

From there it took me no time to reach the Queen's chambers. What I found there was enough to make my blood run cold: Karin was on the floor, unconscious and bleeding heavily, while Rue stood beside her, one of her arms falling useless at her side while with the other she held a short sword gingerly, trying to protect herself and Karin, while not knowing how to fight... and the reason for everything: the Jotun standing, hissing straight at her.

I did not stop to consider the consequences of my actions, following my instinct, I called on my magic to create a translucent shield right in front of Rue, and just in time to stop the ice blade the Frost Giant had just swung at her. It, of course, called his attention in my direction in an instant, and while all instincts inside me were screaming at me to run, I stood my ground. I couldn't run, for Karin, and Rue, I couldn't...

"Nightingale!" Rue cried out in a mix of shock and relief. "Beware!"

Half-absently I pulled the healing vials from my sleeve, tossing them to Rue while still keeping both my eyes on the creeping Jotun.

"Healing powder and elixir." I clarified to the head handmaiden. "Use it on you and Karin. What is the situation with the Queen?"

"She's locked herself in with the Allfather." She signaled to the door behind her. "We were not expecting Jotun to get this far."

They shouldn't have, for all intents... they should have never gotten that far. It seemed that, in the end, the suicide team had done their job, calling enough attention upon them before I could send the warning with the Eihenjar that some had managed to slip by and get into the palace. Also, I did not forget that Odin's chambers had another door, one the Jotun might be able to break through... I just hoped Loki would arrive in time... because I had my own opponent to take care of, and as much as I may be worried about Lady Frigg, I needed to focus.

Allowing a corner of my mind to focus on keeping the shield protecting the handmaidens up, the rest of me prepared for battle as I pulled the crystal dagger from the folds of my dress, dropping into a slight crouch, like Sif and Loki had taught me. My enemy might be bigger than either of them, but I was already used to dueling opponents who were bigger than me... I hoped I would be able to handle it.

For a few minutes all I could do was keep moving, evading the Jotun's attacks to the best of my ability; crouching, jumping, dropping to the floor, even dropping to my knees and sliding to a side at some point. No matter how much effort I made, I never got a chance to truly fight back. Even when I managed to hit one of the Jotun's ice-weapons hard enough to smash it, he would just conjure another. At some point I even called on fire, even though I had had no elemental training yet and it was something insane to try without at least knowing my own affinities.

I kept trying, as hard as I could. Until, a moment came when I slipped (over a puddle formed by one of the melted ice weapons), crashing against a nearby wall. I hit my head harshly against it, actually seeing stars.

"Nightingale!" Rue screamed in panic.

I heard her, tried to protect myself, raising an arm protectively in front of my head. My bell sleeve slipped, baring my arm, which the Jotun seized harshly. For a few seconds, neither of us moved, and as the pain in my head numbed enough to allow me to think clearly again I realized what was going on: the Jotun wanted to burn me with his touch, however, it wasn't working. His touch wouldn't burn me, was it because of the 'Winter Touch' Helblindi had mentioned, because of my mating with Loki? Or even more elemental, the link the deamarkonian had created between the two of us five years before? I knew not the answer, all I knew was that it was something I needed to take advantage of.

Right as the Jotun began realizing his plan was not going to work, and a snarl began building from his throat, I moved my seized arm to a side, forcing him to move his own arm in the same direction, thus exposing himself. Then, with all the speed I was capable of, I moved my other arm, driving my crystal dagger straight into his chest.

There was an instant, a moment that seemed to extend into forever, where the Jotun and I just stared at each other, in shock. Then his body seemed to begin drying fast, as if all the water drained from him, along with his life. I barely managed to react in time, freeing my arm and retrieving my dagger.

I was still lost in the shock of having just killed someone, a Jotun, but still; when suddenly I was distracted, by voices I seemed to hear through ears not my own:

"_Know that your death came by the Son of Laufey..." A freezing, hard voice hissed. _

"_And your death came by the Son of Odin..." The second voice I recognized as Loki's! _

The last phrase seemed to be punctuated by a loud explosion, which I realized a second later I'd heard with my own ears, and it came from Odin's quarters!

I forced myself to move then. Pushing my tired body off the wall, harshly enough that my head seemed to pulse briefly. For a second I felt like I wanted nothing except to drop to my knees and get lost in the pain; but I could sense strong emotions coming from Loki, emotions that were threatening to take him over... I had to be there.

Somehow I managed to stagger across the room. Rue had finished treating Karin by then and was doing her best to wake the younger handmaiden up. After nodding at her I proceeded to the door, throwing it open the moment I arrived.

The scene that met me was more than I could have ever expected: the main door to the Allfather's chamber had been frozen and smashed open; there was a dead Jotun not far from it, and by the wound on its chest and the sword the Queen still held loosely in her hand, I had an idea of who had slayed him. Then there was Loki, standing on a side of the room, Gungnir held tightly in his hands, pointing at the opposite side of the room, where I could see something akin to ash... I had a very good idea who that had been.

"Loki..." I called quietly.

He turned in my direction immediately. As if my voice called him back some far away place where he'd been lost for a few seconds...

"Are you alright Nightingale?" He asked, looking me up and down right away.

"Fine." I assured him. "There was... it doesn't matter."

As if to prove me wrong, Karin's scream echoed through the chambers right then. Loki and even Lady Frigg reacted instantly. What they found in the other room was Rue kneeling next to a hysterical Karin, who had screamed when seeing the body of the dead Jotun.

"Nightingale...?" Loki called questioningly at me.

"I kind of killed him?" Even to my ears it sounded more like a question than a statement.

"She was amazing!" Rue contributed. "Like a warrior-maiden! Like the Lady Sif!"

I shook my head. I was nothing like Sif, but at least I had known enough to defend myself and them, to take down the threat.

In a second I was in Loki's arms, as he seemed to use our bonds to check on me in a deeper way than his eyes could show him. He had no trouble finding my true feelings on the matter, how unsettled I felt, how shaken...

"I'm sorry you had to do that." He told me quietly.

"I will be alright." At least on that I was being honest.

Lady Frigg went to the balcony that opened from a glass door in her personal sitting room (where I'd fought the Jotun), Loki and I followed. Outside, mostly in the distance, the battle went on.

"It's going well." Loki announced. "The soldiers are well prepared, we have nothing to worry about on that front."

"What should we worry about then?" The Queen asked him.

"That it wasn't Laufey trying to assassinate Father." Loki replied honestly. "That was his son..."

"Byleistr." I finished for him.

I could see the sun rising on the horizon, and the way the gold pillars all around sparkled reminded me suddenly of our unexpected visitor's hair. Elanor would still be in my bedroom, but she couldn't come out yet, it wasn't over...

"It's not over yet..." I muttered, mostly to myself.

"My love...?" Loki called to me, wondering what I was thinking.

"Helblindi sent a messenger, like he promised." I told them quietly. "Her name is Elanor, she is no Jotun, though I have no idea what race she might be. With her she carries a baby, a Jotun runt... I believe that is the innocent Helblindi wants us to protect in payment for his favors..."

"A Jotun runt..." Loki repeated. "Like myself."

"Yes." I nodded softly. "I believe you're the very reason why he sent him. Whether Hákon is, like I suspect, Helblindi's son or not... he's at least trying to give that boy a chance, sending him to us. He knows you turned out pretty well so..."

Loki snorted, and I knew he didn't quite agree with the 'pretty well' part of the comment. But I wasn't about to take it back.

"She told you about this." The Queen signaled to the room we'd come from.

"Yes, she said..." I froze mid speech, as it all suddenly dawned on me. "Oh Spirits!"

"What...?" The Queen too seemed to freeze at my tone.

"Nightingale?" Loki called, holding my face between his hands to try and force me to focus. "What did she say?"

"She said that Laufey had spoken about doing you a favor you would never be able to repay... Laufey means to destroy the line of succession!" I crie out eventually.

"So I will be King." My love finished for me. "He believes he's doing me a favor. That's why he sent Byleistr after Father..."

"He's not the only one who's part of the line of succession." I reminded him grimly.

"Thor!" Lady Frigg cried out in dismay.

"Calm down mother." Loki immediately turned his full attention to her. "Nothing will happen to Thor. I promise to you. I will deal with this, right now."

Without anything else said, he left the room in quick, long strides.

"Go with him..." Lady Frigg prompted.

I nodded, bowing my head at her in respect before leaving the balcony as well. However, before I could just cross the siting room, Rue stopped me.

"Are you alright, Nightingale?" She inquired, worried.

"I'll be fine." I nodded. "I need to join Loki."

She nodded, and right as I was about to leave, I remembered Elanor again. If anything happened (which, spirits willing, wouldn't), I needed to make sure the promise to Elanor was kept. With that in mind I approached Rue again.

"I need your help with something." I told her, and then began to explain as quickly as I could. "There is a woman in my chambers, her name is Elanor, and with her is a little baby boy. I have given my oath to grant them protection, as payment for favors granted to me and to Asgard. If I don't come back in the next few hours and the danger here ends, go there, knock on the door; when she asks you who you are tell her: 'I am sent by Lady Nightingale Whisperer', it's a sort of password, it will convince her I'm the one sending you. Then show her this." I placed one of my earrings in her hands. "Once she trusts you bring them straight here, to the Queen. If, for whatever the reason, we do not return, tell Lady Frigg what I've told you. And remember, the vow must be kept to repay the debt."

"I will remember." Rue nodded seriously, holding the piece of jewelry tightly in her hands. "But I'm sure you will be back soon, along with Lord Loki and Prince Thor."

"Of course I will come back." I smiled at her, a bit fake. "And I will be asking for my earring back, so take good care of it."

Rue just nodded once more and then I left the room.

When I saw the contingent of Eihenjar rushing in our direction I thought of something else.

"One of you." I called.

Instantly one of the soldiers approached me, bowed to me once, before waiting for orders.

"I need you to go to the dungeons, tell the one in charge that Lady Sif and the Warriors Three are to be released and put on royal protection duty." I informed him. "It's very important that this be done as quickly as possible."

"Yes, Lady Whisperer." The man bowed respectfully before leaving with all haste.

Knowing that Loki had likely covered a serious distance by that point, and there was no other way to catch up to him, I focused on his presence, called on my magic, and jumped.

Loki's arms caught me when I stumbled upon landing on rather uneven ground. It took me a handful of seconds to notice where we were exactly: by a side door to the castle, close to the stables, and Loki was about to jump on none other than Sleipnir, the eight-legged powerful steed of the Allfather. Granted, I knew that it had actually been Loki's favorite mare that had birthed Sleipnir, and Loki himself had been there to help deliver the foal; he'd gifted it to his father (one of many things Odin had never been properly grateful for). So maybe it wasn't that much of a surprise that the stallion would allow Loki to ride him.

"You realize that if you had jumped, using nothing but my presence as an anchor, when I was in motion, worse even riding Sleipnir, you could have gotten hurt?" My love asked, even as he offered me a hand to ride with him.

"I trusted you weren't that far ahead of me." I told him with a sigh as I got as comfortable as anyone possibly could on a horse. "And if you were already riding I think you would have been too far for me to be able to jump directly to you."

He silently conceded on that, though I could sense he was still worried.

"I suppose you made some arrangements for our departure." He told me.

"Rue will get Elanor and the baby to the Queen when it's all over here, I trust Lady Frigg will make sure the promise is paid back if we don't get back in time." I told him.

We both knew what I wasn't saying 'if we don't get back' at all... but still, I would rather not jinx us. So it went unsaid anyway.

"Mother will take good care of them both." Loki nodded.

I also noticed that he wasn't carrying Gungnir anymore, he'd left it in his father's chambers, which spoke about his own preparations in a worst-case scenario...

"I know." I nodded. "I also gave instructions to one of the guards to release Sif and the Warriors Three and put them on royal guard duty... just in case."

"Good decision." Loki agreed.

Yes, good decision; except for the fact that, as we found shortly after we reached Heimdall in the Observatory, it did not mean much. Sif, Volstagg, Fandral and Hogun were already there, in full armor and weapons ready. They'd obviously taken a direct route to the Bifrost as soon as they were released and ready. We, on the other hand, had taken a longer route, riding by the edge of where the battle against the Jotuns was taking place, to check for ourselves that things were really going as well as we expected, and inform Tyr, the Commander of the Army, of the latest developments and what he was supposed to do once the battle ended.

"Why am I not surprised to see you're ignoring our orders?" Loki asked rhetorically.

"This is not a matter of ignoring your orders, but of helping you." Sif pointed out.

Loki turned to look at me, silently asking my opinion on the matter.

"I suppose if we can trust something about you all is that you'll always help Thor." I shrugged, it was probably the best we were going to get.

"We would help you..." Volstagg began.

"If you want us to trust you, try not to lie so blatantly Volstagg." I chastised him with a fake smile. "Not, lets get going. Who knows what chaos Laufey is causing already? And the last thing we need is for innocent midgardians to end up hurt as well!"

My heart hurt in silent reminder that my aunt was there. If Laufey followed power he would be drawn to Mjolnir, he would hurt and kill any humans that tried to stop him, and that included Aunt Kathryn and her colleagues... we had to get there before that happened!

**xXx**

Loki's arms held me around the waist securely when we landed in the desert, courtesy of the Bifrost. I blinked a few times to adjust to the change in light and to try and remember what I could from my previous visit to see Thor. However, before I could focus too much on that, two things distracted me: first there was the cloud of dust being formed by vehicles, military vehicles, approaching from the East and then... there were a number of Frost Giants, as well as two huge Frost Beasts with them!

"Damnú..." I couldn't help the curse that slipped from my lips in Gaelic.

"Nightingale..." Loki began.

A look in his eyes and I knew he wasn't actually chastising me for my vocabulary (though he knew it could have been worse, I was fluent in enough languages...), no, he was worried.

"The Jotun and their beasts need to be stopped before they reach those humans, or worse even, the town where Thor and his friends are." I said out-loud. "If either of those happens it would be catastrophic... tragic."

"Indeed..." Loki nodded serenely. "But this is not your fight. You've done enough fighting for today, my Nightingale..."

"I can help." I insisted, though deep down I knew I did not want to have to fight again.

"Nobody is doubting that..." Loki began.

"I am!" Fandral interrupted. "She was in the palace, who could she have fought?!"

"Either your brain isn't working properly, which would be no news, or you simply did not care for learning the situation before deciding to simply ignore the orders given to you." Loki told him in a most derisive tone.

"I did." Hogun spoke up. "Jotun infiltrated the palace, three according to the guards. Two got as far as the Allfather's chambers, including the leader, one was slayed by the Queen, the other by the Lord Regent." He nodded respectfully at Loki.

"What about the third?" Volstagg asked warily.

"It was found in the Queen's private rooms." Hogun declared. "According to two handmaidens it was the Lady Whisperer who took it down, with nothing but a dagger..."

"A dagger?" Sif cried out in shock, turning to look at me. "A crystal dagger?!"

I did not answer, as I could sense Loki calling my attention, so I focused on him instead. He said not a word, but he need not, as I realized what he wanted.

"Right." I nodded. "Evacuating the innocents and getting Thor. On it."

With a nod at the others I turned my back on them, giving a few steps as I called on my magic to track Thor's muted presence. I could vaguely hear Volstagg and Fandral muttering behind me, apparently in disbelief at how I'd know exactly what Loki wanted without a single word being said. I wondered when they would understand how much in tune we were... and while I knew it was in part due to the deamarkonian, it was also more than just that.

Finally I located Thor, holding onto his aura, I gave two more steps to brace myself, then jumped. I gave two more jumping steps as I came out of the teleportation a few feet from the same old empty shop I'd found him on the roof of, days before... days! It somehow felt like it'd been longer. So much had happened...

I looked around, and when I couldn't see him in a few seconds, I lost all patience, and decided to throw caution to the wind (with the rather delicate and volatile situation we were all in I doubted caution would have held for long anyway).

"Thor!" I screamed at the top of my lungs. "Thor Odinson!"

I was about to call him for a third time, while wondering if I should begin jumping randomly through the town to search for him (wondering if I'd missed the right place because he spent so much time by that shop he'd left his mark, even while human...) when suddenly I heard a voice:

"Lady Nightingale?!" It was him.

I spun around, the skirts of my dress flying around me made me consider briefly how much trouble the dress could be if I ended in another fight somehow. In any case, I'd already survived and won one while in it, but I didn't want to try my luck, or to have something happen to the dress, it was a gift from Loki!

"Thor... I found you." I couldn't help the relief.

"You have, my lady." The Thunderer nodded.

Behind him I could see the same young woman who'd been sleeping beside him on the roof that night: Jane Foster; as well as a younger woman I imagined must be Darcy Lewis, and an older man: Erik Selvig.

"What has brought you here?" He brought my attention back to him.

"We need to evacuate the town." I informed him grimly.

"Evacuate...?" Jane approached, worried. "Why?"

As if to answer her question he all heard a loud explosion right then, and as we turned we could all see one of the Frost Beasts as it went down.

"What the hell is that?!" Darcy screeched in horror.

"A Frost Beast." I answered blankly. "Laufey brought two of those, as well as over half a dozen Warriors. They're coming after Thor, but make no mistake, they will destroy anything and anyone in their way. They care not for life, for any life, not even that of their own..."

I remembered quite clearly the remains of the suicide squad Heimdall had taken down in the observatory, they'd been nothing more than a distraction...

"Laufey?!" Thor seemed quite alarmed.

"He means to eliminate the line of succession." I informed him grimly. "For whatever the reason, he believes that he's helping Loki become King, and by doing so, would get Loki into his debt."

"My brother would never do something to hurt me, or Father!" Thor stated vehemently.

"Of course not!" I snapped. "I said Laufey believed it, not that he was anywhere near right about it! He's an insane bastard! But an insane, powerful bastard! Loki is with Sif and the Warriors Three, battling them right now. We need to get any innocents in this area as far away as we possibly can though, just in case."

"You mean your friends could lose?" Selvig asked, almost in a panic.

"It's not that simple..." I had no idea how to explain it...

Unlike Thor, I was human, and I'd been raised like Jane, Darcy and the others from there... I knew that what seemed pretty normal to Asgardians, humans would see it as insane; and for the very same reason, I found it hard to say things with the same calm they did sometimes. Even if I knew it was real, I knew the others wouldn't know that, and would have a hard time accepting some things as possible.

As if to answer the question, we could all feel as the temperature began dropping.

"Shouldn't the heat be going up instead of down?" Darcy asked suddenly. "I mean, we are in a desert, and the sun is up..."

"This is Laufey's doing..." Thor muttered.

"It is." I agreed. "Which means the battle is on. We need to really get the humans away before everything begins freezing over..."

"That could happen?!" Jane almost squeaked in fright.

"If they get close enough and call on enough power... yes." I nodded.

"Then lets get everyone out." Jane decided.

We got on our way.

I have no idea how Thor's friends managed to convince the first humans they met to get moving. However, when a stray beam of frost hit an empty van near the edge of town, freezing it instantly, and several feet of the ground around it, everyone began moving in a hurry.

By the time the next frost-beam came, I was ready.

"Algiz!" I called, after tracing a rune in the air with both hands and then thrusting my open palms forward in a stopping motion.

The shield formed just in time. I couldn't help but shudder minutely at the sudden coldness, but had no real problem holding the shield up (something told me that it was, at least in part, thanks to the same thing that protected me from frostbite at touch).

"Lady Nightingale!" Thor called worriedly.

"I'm fine." I called back, still focusing on the shield. "Get the humans out Thor!"

I held the shield up to a few more beams; it kept getting harder, as the attacks got stronger, and then the ice began covering the ground... I realized then the battle was getting closer to town, dangerously close even. The moment I was sure there were no more people left in the town I sagged in relief. I was about to drop to the floor in exhaustion when I felt a couple of arms holding me around my waist, hoisting me up and carrying me away.

"Thor?" I inquired, confused.

"Lets get you out of here." He told me calmly. "Because I have a feeling that if something happens to you, Loki is liable to destroy the world..."

I wanted to snort, to tell him he was being ridiculous and would never do that... but then a corner of my mind reminded me of what I'd read in Norse Mythology when I was researching Loki: about how it was said he would bring forth Ragnarok... Even back then, when I read it, I'd seen it more as a terrible tragedy, than him being evil, thinking that he was just reacting to all the hurt and the grief that had been piled upon him by many others... So many things had turned to be different from hat mythology stated, but could the real Loki, my Loki, possibly ever fall to that? If he was hurt badly enough?

In the end I chose to push the thought away, not wanting to ponder on it anymore. The mere thought of it, of losing him... it hurt too much.

By the time we joined Thor's friends I was able to stand on my feet again. Those three were the only humans who were anywhere close to the town, as most seemed to have decided to go as far as the next one to feel safe. I had a feeling that the only reason those three stayed close was because they, or at least one of them, did not want to leave Thor.

"Are you feeling alright now?" He asked me as he looked me over to make sure.

"Yes." At his look of disbelief I elaborated. "I haven't slept in almost twenty-four hours, and I haven't been getting that much sleep all week either, so..."

Especially the night before last... but I wasn't about to tell him that, or let him make assumptions (especially since they were likely to be right...).

"It's not easy trying to keep up with Loki when he's on a mission." I added then. "Ruling... even as a Regent rather than a King... I am exhausted just as his Advisor, I cannot begin to imagine how he feels..."

"I have always admired that of my brother." Thor nodded. "His will and his mind..."

I did not answer the comment, we both knew that regardless of how much he might admire his brother, he hadn't always shown it; there was no need to mention it.

"Excuse me." Darcy chose that moment to step in. "Who are you exactly?"

"Oh, my friends!" Thor cried out, chagrined. "What rudeness on our part! This is the Lady Nightingale, she's my brother's dearest friend, and his Advisor."

"Advisor?" Selvig seemed confused by that.

"Apparently with my absence, added to Father falling into the Odinsleep, Loki had to step up and take the throne." Thor explained enthusiastically. "He's currently ruling Asgard as Regent, with Lady Nightingale as his main Advisor."

The three humans nodded, though I was quite sure they couldn't fully comprehend everything Thor had said; not because they were in any way dumb, but it simply was too different from anything they considered normal.

"Can you tell me what has happened since we last spoke?" Thor asked me next.

"First of all, the day after I came to see you Loki and I went to Jotunheim to attempt to negotiate a truce with the Frost Giants... it didn't exactly work out, though Laufey tried to pretend he was willing to listen... as if we were that naïve, or foolish..." I snorted. "After that Loki made a series of plans, and backup plans and event contingencies in case Asgard was attacked by Jotuns, either directly through the Bifrost, through the Hidden Roads, or even if they, by some kind of bizarre miracle, managed to create a Chaos Portal." I enlisted blankly. "During that time I slipped into Jotunheim several times in secret, to keep an eye on what Laufey might be planning. I happened to meet Heblindi, one of Laufey's sons and who, whether you believe it or not, is quite a decent guy, that's my opinion in any case."

"A Jotun..." Thor began with his usual prejudice, though it did seem less explosive than usual.

"Thor, in the name of all that is sacred in this universe, shut your mouth." I half-snapped at him. "I know you don't like Jotun in principle, but consider this if you will: who told you, told everyone in Asgard that the Frost Giants were nothing more than bloodthirsty monsters?" I didn't even wait for him to say a word. "Answer: the tutors, the historians, and the books, all written by the victors, by the people who have no reason to see the Jotun as anything but vicious, monstrous creatures. There is a saying I heard a lot when I was younger: history is written by the victor... so what does that tell you?"

"That is the first thing every history teacher says." Darcy offered. "You can never fully trust any 'historic account' because it will always be toned by the hand of the one writing it."

"Also." Jane added. "You said this Jot... Ju..."

"Frost Giants." I told her.

"Yes, these Frost Giants, they are the dominating race of one of the realms you told me about, yes?" Her whole attention was on Thor, and her tone was almost lecturing. "That means they are a society capable of growing, of prospering on their own. If they were nothing but monsters they would have destroyed each other and ultimately pushed themselves to extinction long before they got the chance of becoming the dominant species." Her tone softened then. "Thor... many beings know and even thrive on making war with one another... humans are a clear example of it, what with all the wars we as a race keep getting into. However, that doesn't make us stop being human, it does not make us monsters or any less worthy of respect and value than any other being on the universe. The same holds true for the people on Asgard, and the Giants..."

When Thor nodded and actually seemed to be pondering on what Jane had said I felt like yelling my thanks to the heavens, I actually thought it proper to thank her.

"Thank you!" I told her with a smile. "You've managed to get something through his thick skull, and in record time too! I did not think such a thing was possible!"

"Nightingale..." Thor muttered half in jest, half in warning.

"Oh don't use that tone on me Thor, you know very well I'm immune to it." I told him easily. "Crown Prince or not, you do not scare me, you never have."

Thor shook his head but, wisely, did not insist on the matter.

"So you met a decent Jotun..." The Thunderer reminded me.

"Right, completely different from Laufey, I assure you." I nodded empathically. "He helped me gather information, stopped me from getting too close when I might have been caught, and finally sent a messenger to warn us one last time right before the attack happened."

"So many favors..." The blonde muttered worriedly. "What price is to be paid for that debt?"

"The protection of an innocent." I answered with a nostalgic smile.

"Excuse me?" He didn't seem to be able to understand that.

"The messenger was a woman, of a race other than a Jotun." I explained. "With her she carried an infant, no more than six months old, I think." I took a deep breath before finally dropping the bomb. "It's a jotun baby Thor... a runt. The child will never survive in Jotunheim, and Helblindi knows that, which is why he asked for his protection as payment for the favors granted..."

No words were said, though I could see in Thor's expression the struggle as he fought to readjust his views to everything that was being presented to him in that moment. The idea of a Frost Giant helping Asgard so much, and then, when he could have asked literally for anything in the universe, to request protection for another, for an infant, an innocent...

"I don't know what to say..." Thor admitted quietly.

I just prayed his willingness to see things differently would help when he found out the truth about Loki's ancestry...

"You said there was an attack on Asgard." Thor remembered right then.

"Technically two... or three, depending on how you wish to see it." I commented, trying to make it sound lighter than it had been. "First a suicide squad tried to force their way through the Bifrost and past Heimdall. It failed, obviously. However, they managed to create a big enough ruckus that when the big force came, through the Hidden Roads, there was a brief chaos as the Army rushed into proper formation that three Jotun managed to slip past them and actually into the palace... and as far as the Royal Wing..."

"What?!" Thor was completely livid at that.

"Nothing happened!" I hurried to reassure him. "Elanor, the non-Jotun messenger sent in secret by Helblindi, warned me of the true objective of the attack and I had someone call Loki before going myself to the Royal Wing."

"True objective?" Jane inquired.

Truth is, all three humans seemed completely enthralled by the recount. I hoped it was a good thing rather than give us more trouble later on.

"I mentioned it before, I believe." I was quite sure I had. "Laufey's intent was to destroy the line of succession. He sent three of his best Warriors to assasinate the Allfather in his sleep."

"What happened?" Thor asked, tersely.

"The Queen slayed one herself the moment two of them managed to break into the King's chambers, where she had barricaded herself with him." I told him honestly. "Loki arrived in time to deal with the worst one."

"You've only mentioned two..." Darcy pointed out not-helpfully.

I couldn't help my unconscious reaction as I rubbed at my left arm with the opposite hand.

"Were you burnt?!" Thor cried out in horror, reaching for my arm.

"I'm fine!" I hurried to assure him, as I showed him my unblemished skin. "Though, if you must know; yes, I was the one who fought the third..."

I began to feel extremely self-conscious right then, as I pulled my dagger from the folds of my dress. It was completely pristine thanks to a spell that made sure that nothing could stain it or damage it in any way. Stronger magic could deteriorate it, of course, but I had my doubts of how many, if any, people there might be in the universe stronger in seidhr than Loki...

"I am no Warrior but..." I just shrugged, not even knowing how to finish such a statement.

"Your actions would deny that statement..." Thor commented with a knowing smile.

I just shrugged again. I had a feeling that even if I had slayed a dozen Jotun, I still wouldn't feel like a Warrior; and I didn't want to, just like I didn't want to have to slay a dozen anything... I was a pacifist! Violence went against everything I believed in. And while I also fiercely believed in protecting those you care for with all you are... I still had a hard time wrapping my mind around the idea of hurting anyone. In that moment... Karin had been badly hurt, she and Rue in great danger. I didn't have to think, I just reacted to the situation. I could be a Protector, a Shield, but I could never imagine myself as a true Warrior...

I was brought out of my musings when Thor approached me, taking hold of my head with one hand, before pressing my forehead against his chest.

"You bring honor to your name, to Asgard, and to all who have the fortune of knowing you." He whispered solemnly and quietly to me, before placing a kiss on my brow.

When we finally separated I noticed Darcy's and Selvig's confused expression, countered by Jane's intrigued one and then... there were voices, a group of men calling loudly to the humans as they approached. They were all dressed in dark suits... they were the government agents who had been trying (and only trying) to study Mjolnir!

"Dr. Foster!" The man at the head of the group was calling. "Would you and your friend over there like to explain to us what is going on?" He turned to Thor. "Donald, was it? I don't think you've been completely honest with me..."

I peeked around Thor to look properly at him, even as I wondered why exactly he was calling Thor, Donald? Some fake identity he was using? I noticed the way his eyes widened, minutely but the change was there, when he finally noticed me standing there (I imagined my clothes must not have been exactly normal for him and for Midgard as a whole -unless it was a Renaissance Fair, which was not the case-). However, my attention was called instead by the woman walking a couple of feet to his side. It may have been years, but I knew perfectly who that woman was.

"Aunt Kathryn..." I couldn't help but whisper brokenly under my breath.

It looked like one, or both were about to turn the line of questioning in my direction, until suddenly something else demanded my complete attention. My body doubled over and my legs almost folded beneath me before I was completely conscious of what was going on.

"Nightingale!" Thor cried out in worry, holding me up. "What's wrong...?"

"Pain..." I whispered, pressing a hand against my side. "Something's wrong... Loki's in pain..."

"Loki...?" Thor wasn't expecting that. "How do you know that?"

"Bound..." I muttered, not even fully conscious of the things I was saying. "We've been bound for a long time... I can feel him... his pain..."

I made up my mind right then. I cared not about the humans who had just arrived. Even if my Aunt was there... I had moved on, she was my past, and I had a future to protect. With that in mind I spun around, staggering a few steps as I called on my magic, then I jumped. What I never expected was for Thor to reach over and take a hold of me in the very last moment, he ended up tagging along in the teleportation.

I staggered as we both landed in the outskirts of the west side of the small town where Thor's friends lived. Thor actually went on one knee, having completely lost his balance.

"What the hell was that?" Thor demanded between pants.

"Teleportation." I answered him promptly, while also trying to breathe deeply to recover. "I call it jumping, because giving a little jump right as you do it helps lessen the awful feeling of losing the ground beneath your feet, only to have it reappear abruptly moments later."

"A warning would have been mightily appreciated." Thor commented as he got back on his feet.

"I knew not a warning was necessary." I replied calmly. "I never meant to bring you along."

"I knew not you could do this." The Thunderer admitted.

"Loki has been teaching me magic for years." I informed him with a small smile. "Most spells still give me considerable trouble, but things like shields, teleportation and other minor ones I can do decently enough."

"Teleportation cannot be considered a minor thing!" Thor insisted.

"Well, no." I shrugged slightly. "But I have done it often enough."

I chose to walk away before he could continue the conversation; there were more important things for us to focus on, like the throbbing pain on my side, which I knew could only be a resonance from Loki, as I had received no injury.

I reached Sif, Volstagg, Fandral and Hogun in short time. They looked awful. Fandral's dominant arm had a deep slash that made it so he couldn't use it; Sif had a bleeding shoulder and kept an arm around her chest, which told me something was wrong with her ribs; Volstagg was on the sand, with serious ice-burns on his neck and an arm; Hogun was the only one who didn't seem as bad, though he looked as tired as the rest.

"My friends!" Thor called loudly the moment he saw them.

"Thor!" They all cried out in turn.

"You're alright!" Volstagg and Fandral called in unison.

"Of course I'm alright, why wouldn't I be?" Thor honestly did not understand.

"What has happened?" I demanded.

I needed to know how bad the situation was. I could sense Loki battling Laufey a distance away from us, but before I tried anything I wanted to know how dire the situation was (and it was dire, at least to a point, if he was hurt badly enough for me to feel it).

"We found Laufey with almost a dozen Warriors and two Frost Beasts." Hogun answered promptly, seeing my worry. "We defeated nine between us all, and together managed to take down one of the Beasts. Loki took down the second beast on his own; he also managed to slay one of the other Warriors before it could do anything. Laufey tried to slip away while he fought the last one, but Loki somehow immobilized the last Jotun Warrior before moving against the King. They've been locked in combat ever since."

"I need to find Loki..." I muttered, mostly to myself.

"Nightingale, you are in no state to help..." Thor began worriedly. "And I would ask you to help my friends, as they're in need of a healer..."

I knew he was right, on both accounts, so I reached automatically into the sleeves, bringing out the vials of healing powder and elixir I had left. I passed them around to the others, as those means of healing were simple enough I knew they could handle it on their own. In the end, I was left with one vial in hand, and it was until then that I noticed it wasn't an elixir: it was a green-blue color, a re-energizing potion I'd been experimenting with, mixing several herbs and solutions. The mix was approved by a professional healer, who declared it safe, and I'd taken small sips before, but I'd never tried when truly needing a full dose. In the end I decided Loki was enough of a reason for me to throw caution to the wind and so I swallowed the full contents of the vial in one go. It had a strong taste, like the strongest tea I'd ever tried, with no milk, sugar or honey. The effect was almost immediate, and I could feel a shudder run through me, along with what might have been adrenalin as my energy was practically forced up.

"Nightingale?" Thor asked, worried.

"I'll be fine Thor." I assured him. "I need to find Loki."

The Thunderer turned to look briefly over his friends, who were already helping pour healing powder over each other's wounds.

"I shall go with you." Thor decided right then.

I didn't try another teleportation: on one side it would have been too dangerous, appearing out of nowhere in the middle of a fight, on the other I wanted to conserve some energy.

Thor asked his friends to lend him a shield, as well as a sword and a couple of knives (one which he handed to me) then we were on our way.

We arrived to the scene just in time. The Jotun Hogun had told us Loki had immobilized to focus on Laufey had just finished freeing himself and he moved against Loki in that very instant. I did not even think about it, simply jumping in Loki's direction at the same time I began drawing a rune in the air:

"Algiz!" I called the moment my feet touched ground again.

The spell had been so sudden and the attack so strong that my shield shattered into pieces like glass, the force of it pushing me on one knee. However, it managed to hold long enough.

"Nightingale!" Both brother's called at the same time.

"So the child isn't so useless, then." Laufey mocked.

I didn't reply, simply returned to my feet, focusing my breath so I could pull in as much oxygen as I could to recover, without making it obvious. I could see in Thor's eyes that he wanted to help, but there was nothing he could do, not as a human...

"Stay where you are Thor!" I ordered.

In that moment I pushed away all the ideas that had run previously through my mind about Warriors, Protectors, Shields, what I might or might not be. I knew, without a doubt, there was one thing that would always push me to fight, against all odds: Loki.

I kept my crystal dagger concealed, a hidden ace, just in case; while I focused on wielding the one Thor had given me with my right hand, while I used the left to draw runes in the air as I called on the spells I felt more confident on. I ended up having to call on fire again, as I realized nothing else truly worked.

During that fight I realized just how lucky I'd been during my fight in the palace. Because no matter how hard I tried, it seemed impossible to defeat this new enemy! There were several complications: like the ice covering the ground, while my boots helped me keep balance for the most part, sometimes I couldn't help but slip. And those slips cost me.

Also, Laufey's icy aura seemed to be reinforcing the other Jotun's own power, aside from pretty much sucking the heat out of the air, making it harder to breathe after a while...

Loki wasn't having an easy time; especially because, as an Aesir, he was at a disadvantage where it came to ice magic. He was refusing to shift, and I knew very well why he was doing it: Thor. I was beginning to wonder if it wouldn't have been better to return Thor to his human friends before going to help Loki... I just hoped we wouldn't end up both dead for my lack of forethought on the matter.

The fight was long, tiring, and halfway through it I realized I wasn't going to win. I had an edge, thanks to the fact that the Frost Gian'ts touch did not burn me, no matter how many times my opponent tried it. But still, short fire spells and a dagger were never going to cut it; and then there was the fact that my opponent was one of the best warriors in Jotunheim, while I had only the most basic training in fighting. Still, I had already made up my mind not to give up, not to run away; I would keep fighting, I would find a way to at least keep the Jotun busy long enough for Loki to defeat Laufey, that was all I needed...

The plan didn't exactly work out; then again, it wasn't much of a plan; bunch of goals but no real idea on how to reach them. It happened in a way that was almost embarrassingly simple: I leaned back to avoid a swing from the Jotun's ice blade, but in the end I inclined my body more than I could balance, which caused me to fall on my back.

The Jotun conjured an almost-spear-length ice weapon on his other arm, moving to run me through with it, I barely managed to roll to a side fast enough. However, I then found out I could no longer move. The skirts of my dress were twisted around my legs, immobilizing the lower half of my body.

The Frost Giant noticed my trouble and I could have almost sworn he smiled malevolently at me as he approached, weapons raised and ready to kill me. Growing desperate in my precarious situation I made a move to try and injure him with the knife; he hit me with the blunt side of his spear, making me drop the small blade and making pain blossom in my wrist. I was sure it was sprained, perhaps even worse, as I could no longer move my hand properly.

"Nothing more than a pathetic child in the end." The Jotun hissed in satisfaction.

In a second, I practically lost myself to panic, though it wasn't exactly my death that worried me (though I did not want to die either). All I could do was stare at the intricate gold cuff-bracelet around my right wrist: the deamarkonian; knowing that, because of it, when I died, Loki would die with me! The mere idea caused me such pain I was sure even true death couldn't be that painful, it just couldn't...

Then a second passed, and another, a third... I finally took a breath, fully processing the fact I was still alive. Belatedly I processed the sound of metal groaning and bending; and then, finally, I raised my head. My mind had trouble processing what I saw: Thor was standing in front of me, his back to me, on his left arm was Sif's shield, and it was that shield which he'd used to block the Frost Giant's attack against me.

The exiled God let out a pained groan and I remember then that, while he might look the same as always, he had none of his usual power. The shield had barely been able to stand against the power of the Jotun's attack, Thor hadn't been so fortunate. Just for his expression and the way he held himself I could guess his arm was broken.

"You wanted to die with her?" The Frost Giant mocked at the blonde. "Should have just said so. I don't mind indulging you!"

"Thor!" I screamed at him urgently. "Move!"

"No" He shouted his refusal back at me, without even moving.

"Thor!" I cried out in absolute panic. "He's going to kill you!"

"He will kill you!" The blonde retorted.

"My life is not worth yours." I yelled back. "Asgard needs you!"

"And Loki needs you." He said with a strange serenity.

And somehow those words coming so quietly from his mouth, they weighed more in my mind and heart than all our previous yelling.

"Nightingale! Brother!" Loki cried out to us.

He could see our situation, but Laufey was giving him no chance to do anything, he was too strong, too fast, too much...

I could practically feel the glee as the Frost Giant before us swiped at Thor's shield. With his arm already badly injured, the Thunderer wasn't able to hold onto it. When the next attack came all Thor could do was raise his other arm, the one holding the short sword he'd borrowed from one of his friends, and brace himself.

I waited for a breath, two... on the third, as if by some higher design, lighting struck right in between Thor and his opponent, or was it on one of them? A cloud of sand rose suddenly enough some of it got inside my mouth and nose and I couldn't hold back my almost violent coughing as I tried to clear up my throat from the sand. When I finally managed to breathe right again I opened eyes I hadn't noticed I'd closed... only to realize everything had changed, in the most unexpected manner, in just an instant.

Thor was still standing right in front of me; except he was no longer the same vulnerable, human he'd been just seconds before. Instead, he was back to being the man I'd known for five years personally, and even before that, through Loki's stories. He was in full armor and red cape, and in his right hand he held Mjolnir.

"Thor..." I whispered, not quite able to believe what I was seeing.

Thor himself seemed quite surprised by the change. It was obvious he hadn't planned, hadn't been expecting it. Even if we'd both known he could get his powers back, none of us had known how exactly he was supposed to do that. And even after it had happened, I hadn't the slightest idea of what the key might have been: was it his willingness to fight even when he was just human and utterly unable to win against such opponents? His sacrifice for my sake? The strength of his mind and will even when his body had failed him? Something else entirely?

Thor was so shocked by the shift, and the fact that it had apparently been enough to heal his broken arm, that for a few seconds he didn't move. He didn't even notice when the Jotun took advantage of his distraction to attack, but I did. Without thinking much about it, I called on my magic; with a wave of my good hand I telekinetically threw my knife at the Frost Giant. It pierced his shoulder, not a very threatening wound, but enough to make it stagger, and return Thor to the present. The blonde then used Mjolnir to call a storm, having lightning hit his opponent (whether the lightning hit the knife on purpose, by coincidence, or divine design, I would never know -nor did I ask-).

My mind was still trying to catch up with everything that had happened rather suddenly when I felt Thor's hands on my torso as he took hold of me, pulling me to my feet in a swift move. I got a rush of vertigo at the sudden motion; and yet I had to admit it was easier than twisting all around to release my legs and then fight to get up again with the slippery ice beneath me.

"Thank you." I told him quietly.

"You were amazing, Lady Nightingale." He told me respectfully. "It was just bad fortune that had you unable to finish him off on your own."

"Fortune or not, you saved my life, thank you." I insisted, smiling at him. "And you have regained your power! Another good thing."

"Indeed." Thor nodded.

We stopped talking then, both turning to where Loki and Laufey were still battling it out, knowing there was one thing that still needed taking care of.

"Give up Laufey!" Thor boomed at him.

"Give up?" Laufey mocked, without stopping the fight for even an instant. "Whyever would I do such a cowardly thing?"

"You've lost already, even you must know that." Thor insisted. "Give up and we will be merciful with you and, and any warriors of yours that might still be alive at this point..."

"I will never give up!" Laufey snarled. "And what would the point of mercy be? Think, you do, that I know not that my traitorous son back in Jotunheim has organized a coupe? All those Frost Giants, so weak, so cowardly, not daring to move against Asgard, to fight for what is rightfully ours! They will all answer to Helblindi now. A coward who should be no son of mine! No, whether I am doomed to fail or not, I shall not give up! Even if I am meant to die, I shall have one final laugh, and take at least one of my traitorous sons with me!"

I realized what he was going to do a fraction of a second before he did it:

"Wha...?" Thor began, having no idea at all...

"No!" I practically screeched, even knowing it was useless.

Laufey ignored the moment his latest ice blade was broken by Loki's knives and kept moving his arm, managing to take hold of Loki's neck. The hold wasn't tight enough to really strangle my love, but still, it caused the same reaction as the last time the Jotun King did such a thing: Loki's skin rippled, fading from the pale, almost ivory that was his natural tone as an Aesir, to the dark cobalt of his Jotun flesh. His bright jade green eyes bleeding red and black.

A pained moan escaped Loki's lips then, though only I knew it wasn't because of any physical pain, no, it was all emotional in that moment.

"Loki...?" Thor was beyond confused by that point. "What...?"

"You knew not, did you?" Laufey asked Thor mockingly, voice biting and cruel. "Your 'beloved' brother, isn't your brother at all! His blood is not Odin's, it's mine! He's my son! My first-born, even if a bastard, born from a woman who had so much power, yet not the right brains to use it properly! And then she gave me a runt for a son! A runt! My first-born! It's no wonder I killed her right after she brought such a disgrace to my name! And since we were already at war it was rather easy to simply abandon the baby on that temple and claim he and his mother had been tragically slayed by the barbarians from Asgard!"

Loki gasped and I even I had a hard time holding back my own cry. Such a cruel creature! Such a... monster! How could Loki be the son of such an abomination?! It just wasn't possible! I'd heard the debate of nature vs. nurture, of course; but this whole situation was beyond ridiculous! Loki's mother must have been an amazing being if nature was in any way responsible for anything Loki was... or maybe it was all simply thanks to Frigg's nurture, her care, her love. Though I still, for the life of me, could not comprehend how anyone could ever love someone like Laufey... or had he been monstrous even in that aspect and taken what wasn't willingly given? It honestly wouldn't surprise me.

"Did you hear me, Prince Thor?" Laufey went on with his poisonous speech. "Loki is mine! He's a Jotun! A monster, just like me!"

Loki's eyes were shut tight and I could suddenly feel coldness creeping in. I couldn't breathe, it was as if all will to live had left me abruptly. I realized then that I was feeling what Loki did. He was beyond panicked, absolutely terrified, to a point where he would rather simply stop living in that very moment than have to face Thor's reaction to the revelation of his ancestry.

I wanted to do something, anything, but I just knew not what... there were no words I could say, nothing I could do to possibly change the situation we were in... and then...

"No." Thor's voice seemed so loud as he abruptly broke the silence, and it had a certain quality to it, strong, hard, almost otherworldly.

"What...?" Laufey seemed as confused as I, perhaps even more.

"No." Thor insisted.

"Denial won't change anything, little prince." Laufey sneered at him. "In the end Loki will still be exactly what he is..."

"I said no!" Thor snapped loudly, furious. "Loki is not your son, and above everything else, he is anything but a monster! You comparing yourself to him is like a bug trying to compare itself to the mightiest eagle: pointless and stupid."

Laufey actually seemed shocked at that.

I had no words. Honestly, none at all, my mind was absolutely blank, and I was almost sure so was Loki's. While I'd had high hopes for Thor after Jane's words, after his admittance that things might be different from what he'd always known and believed in... not even in my wildest dreams could I have ever imagined something like what was happening in that very moment before my eyes. I turned to look properly at Loki then, his own eyes wide and bright, I knew (from inside and out) that he felt the same awe and wonder I did.

"He is my..." Laufey began, livid.

"I care not who sired him, or gave birth to him." Thor cut him off almost viciously. "Though it sounds to me that, his birth-mother, at least, deserved much more." He took a deep breath before continuing. "In the end, that matters not. He is Loki Odinson, Friggason, my brother. We were raised together, we've played together, fought together... I care not how he came to exist, he's my brother in every way that matters and you're nothing but a pitiful coward trying to destroy someone who's a thousand times more than you'll ever be... you don't even deserve to try to claim him as yours, not now, not ever!" He raised his hand high, Mjolnir flying to him from where he'd left it on the ice when helping me. "Loki, move!"

My Maverick, as awed and shocked as he seemed to be with every word Thor had pronounced in the last few minutes, still reacted instinctively to Thor's command. Before Laufey fully processed what was going on Loki had seemed to turn into sparks in the Jotun's hold before reappearing by Thor's side. And just in time, as thunder hit Laufey a fraction of a second later.

"You were so sure I would be able to move in time..." Loki commented almost offhandedly.

"I know you better than you might think, brother." Thor told him calmly. "You have much more power than you show most of the time. I had faith you had enough to free yourself."

Loki actually smiled; and deep inside we both knew it wasn't because of Thor's praise, no, it was for something much more simple: Thor had called Loki 'brother'. After everything Laufey had said, after witnessing the change in Loki's own skin, Thor still called Loki his brother, as if it were the most natural thing, as if it couldn't be any other way... and maybe that's how he saw it.

Right then the cloud of sand and steam that had formed with the thunder finally cleared, leaving a completely livid King of the Jotun in its wake.

"Shall we, brother?" Thor inquired, signaling to the fuming Laufey.

"After you, brother." Loki replied with a smirk.

"No, together." Thor insisted in turn.

Loki nodded eagerly.

"Nightingale." My love said, turning to me briefly. "Please stay back and raise one of your shields, I wish not for you to get hurt."

"Laufey won't hurt anyone else." Thor assured us both.

"No, he won't." Loki reaffirmed.

And then the two of them were off.

Watching them do battle together... I'd heard and read of people describing battle as beautiful and I did not understand how they could see violence and believe it to be anything resembling beauty, I couldn't... however, seeing Thor and Loki in that moment, as they fought against Laufey, the way they weaved in an out of each other's paths, never tripping or encroaching on the other, always so perfectly synchronized, as if they were following some kind of choreography they had practiced countless times. Yet I knew it wasn't that, because never before that moment had Loki and Thor fought together; the Thunderer was always one to run straight into a fight, regardless of safety or plans, while my Maverick would stay back and use his magic from a distance to make sure his brother and friends would get themselves killed in their rush for battle and glory...

Numberless times Loki had been called weak, because he was not a warrior in the same manner Thor and his friends were; he'd been called a coward, for choosing words and magic above fists and swords. I wondered silently what all those people would say if they could see him, could see both brothers, as they were in that moment... Such an enthralling sight... I was sure none would ever dare insult Loki again...

In the end, Laufey hadn't a chance. The moment Thor and Loki began fighting together his defeat was imminent. And he knew it. In a last, desperate effort to get some kind of satisfaction even in loss, he shot a torrent of ice blades, almost like a hailstorm, straight at me...

I took a deep breath when I saw the attack coming my way, bracing myself and the shield for it. I knew there was a chance, a big one, that it would break before the attack ran out, but there was simply no time for me to move away, the attack was too wide, and if I tried to teleport I would need to call on the magic holding the shield in place and that was just too big a risk as it would leave me vulnerable for a number of too precious seconds.

So I waited, in a way we all did... except the attack never hit. It felt almost like a repeat of that moment when I'd found myself immobilized by my own dress and the last Jotun Warrior raised his ice-blade to kill me, only to have Thor block him. Except it wasn't Thor who intervened in that moment: but Sif and Hogun. They were the least hurt from Thor's friends, so it was reasonable that they would be able to stop what ice-blades would have hit me, letting the rest of them fly harmlessly around us. What I, what none of us, had been expecting, was for them to have followed Thor and I when we left them to track down Loki.

"Sif...? Hogun...?" We were all truly shocked.

"Seemed appropriate that we would begin to pay back for all the times you've saved our lives." Hogun told me calmly. "Also, if you are a friend, why shouldn't we protect you?"

It was the first time he, any of them really, referred to me as a friend. While it was true that I'd been helping them for years, I'd been little more than Loki's friend, or the Queen's handmaiden. Sif's nod at Hogun's words only pushed my confusion higher. What could have possibly happened in the last few days to make them change so much? It couldn't have been my speeches to them, and much less the fact that I'd sent them to the dungeons for several days; if anything that should have driven a deeper wedge between us, rather than narrowing it.

"Just kill the bastard already so we can all go back home." Sif called to the brothers.

"As the lady commands." Loki bowed his head at her.

He'd made it sound mocking, and yet in his eyes one could see that he was truly thankful, both to Sif and Hogun, for helping me. I wondered if they could see it...

I did not know what pushed me to do it, but I dramatically dusted my dress before giving enough steps to stand in between Sif and Hogun, straightening up to my full (if still small) height. Allowing Laufey to look right at me, while I stared back at him.

"You lose..." I whispered with all the coldness I was capable of.

I'd never been one to hold grudges, not for my own sake in any case; but knowing everything he'd done, to hurt not only Loki but also Helblindi, Jotunheim, and even Asgard... I couldn't help the hint of satisfaction when I was the last thing he saw before a sword went through his heart (if he had one at all) at the same time Mjolnir bashed his head in. There was simply no way he could survive the two things.

**xXx**

The Warriors Three wanted us all to go back to Asgard as soon as we won the battle, Thor didn't want to leave his new friends so abruptly, Sif held back her own opinion, while Loki and I realized we couldn't just leave; not with all the humans who had already involved themselves, directly or indirectly, in things.

We took a moment to set the corpses of Jotun and beasts alike on fire; the last thing we needed was for someone to find them and experiment on them, and I knew humans were liable to try such a thing, even if they justified it as studying possible threats to world security.

By that point Volstagg and Fandral were as well as they could be expected to be in that time, same with the rest of us, and while Thor offered his friends to stay by the Bifrost site and wait for the rest of us, Sif vehemently refused that, arguing that someone had to be ready to protect him, protect us all, in case something else went wrong (and with our luck, it was possible). In the end we acquiesced and got moving.

Jane seemed to be about to bite her nails off when we finally got close to her and the other humans. The moment she saw us she let out a little cry, enough to call everyone else's attention to her, and then us; and then she ran to us, throwing herself at Thor the moment she reached us. It was until she'd kissed him with a brazenness I honestly wasn't expecting (none of us was), then she smiled and spoke.

"So, is this how you normally look?" She inquired, looking him up and down.

"More or less." Thor smiled at her almost goofishly.

"It's a good look." Jane complimented him, she sounded almost dazed, maybe the kiss?

"Glad you approve." Thor replied, kissing her again.

"Donald..." A voice called.

It was the same Agent as before. Loki had told me he seemed to be in charge of the government agents studying Mjolnir and keeping watch over Thor and his human friends.

"I am Thor Odinson, crown prince of Asgard." The Thundered cut him off respectful and authoritative, before moving to introduce the rest of us. "My brother, Loki Odinson, prince and current Lord Regent; and our Advisor, the Lady Nightingale Whisperer..."

I began to wonder if that was to become my name... it wasn't bad, not at all. Though it was more than a little peculiar than he would choose to combine name and title the same way Helblindi had before (and I didn't remember telling him about that...).

"Next there are our friends." Thor insisted on claiming them as such. "Lady Sif, and the Warriors Three: Hogun, Fandral and Volstagg."

There was no visible reaction from Coulson as Thor introduced all of us, but I had seen that kind of blankness before, in my Aunt Kathryn no less. He was obviously being affected, but was holding back, hoping to learn more before revealing anything about himself.

"Know this, Son of Coul." Thor went on. "You and I, we fight for the same cause, the protection of this world. From this day forward you can count me, count us all, as your allies if..." he took a step back, to be beside Jane. "You return the items you have taken from Jane."

"Stolen." Jane muttered almost petulantly.

"Borrowed." Coulson corrected without missing a beat. "Of course you can have your equipment back. You're going to need it to continue your research."

Thor nodded. It looked like he was about ready to fly off, but Loki stopped him.

"Brother." My Maverick said respectfully. "I know you must be eager to return to Asgard, but it is my belief we all would benefit from a more... in-depth talk with the midgardian agents."

"I would appreciate a debriefing of the events that took place today, that have been taking place for the last week, in fact." Coulson nodded. "All we know from before is that Thor appeared one night, was taken to the hospital, and later on got away without being released by the doctors, he invaded our temporary facilities in a failed attempt to retrieve an object that had appeared as suddenly as him, an object he is now carrying, and then the rest of you arrived... and those creatures, and the fight... you sent us away."

"I sent you away for your own safety." Loki pointed out. "The ones who attacked were Frost Giants, and their most powerful Beasts. You would have been defenseless against them. The mere touch of any of them burns all not of their race, but Nightingale and myself, for reason we need not go into."

"I have seen the kind of burns they cause in Aesir..." I murmured, not being able to hold the comment back. "I cannot even begin to imagine what they could do to humans..."

Several of the humans present actually shivered at the prospect.

"Brother, are you sure it's safe to take this much time to explain things?" Thor inquired.

"More than safe, it's necessary." Loki told him. "Humans both deserve and need to understand as much as they possibly can of what has happened; of the dangers they are open to. Both so they can prepare themselves, and so they might avoid situations that might place the in even more danger in the future."

"Mind explaining that last part?" A female voice asked suddenly.

I froze in place, recognizing it immediately.

"Agent Adler, I trust the perimeter is secured?" Coulson inquired.

"All civilians are safe and ready to return once we confirm it's safe for them to do so." My aunt, the Agent, nodded. "There were no remains from the battles, but then again, we had expected that. What I would like to know is what Lord Loki meant when he spoke about avoiding things that might put us in danger..."

Thor turned to Loki, who in turn looked at me. While Loki was called Silvertongue, he also knew he could be very blunt at times; and the Agents might take offense to his words, so he would rather I spoke, I, who knew more about humans than anyone else, because I was one, even if no one but Loki and myself knew.

"To be honest, at this point, none of the other realms think much about Midgard, or as you call it, Earth." I said seriously. "It's a mix of things, but the most important is how short lived you all are. While, to be perfectly honest, no race is fully immortal, most other races measure their lives in millennia rather than in decades. So you humans are mere infants even at the time of your death. It is generally believed that little can be achieved with such short lives, so most don't expect there to be much here... some, like Loki and myself, know this realm enough to realize things aren't fully as it is widely believed. Midgard isn't as behind as others think... however, it is also true that you aren't as advanced as other realms, especially Asgard."

I made a pause, waiting to see the reactions of everyone around me. As no one seemed to be taking things negatively just yet I felt confident enough to go on.

"A bit over a thousand years ago, in the aftermath of the last battle between Aesir and Jotun, the Allfather decreed that, while Midgard would always be under Asgard's purview and protection, the human race would be allowed to grow and progress as they would, without any outside influence..." I went on. "However, there were no concessions made for how things would proceed if you were ever to find a way to establish contact with the rest of us. Simply put no one, in any realm, imagined such a thing could possibly happen in a very, very long time, if ever. While, technically we were the ones who came here; truth is J... Dr. Foster is very wise, and is very close to understanding things that even the best scholars all over the universe have difficulty with. It is likely that, had we never come, she would have found at least some of the answers on her own, enough to call the attention of others... and that could be dangerous."

"Knowledge is dangerous." Loki went on. "It is the whole point Nightingale is trying to make. You know now that the universe is bigger than you used to think, and that there are other beings living in other worlds throughout it. What you do with that knowledge is up to you of course, but remember always that your actions have consequences. And that some of those actions might end up calling the attention of others... Thor has told you that we want the same things, to consider us allies, and it's true. However, know that that will not always be the case. At some point you might end up calling the attention of those who might wish you and your realm harm; and while we might have every intention of helping you, we can make no guarantees that we will always be here. We have duties to fulfill, the universe is a big place, and some things might happen too suddenly for anyone, even us, to do anything about it."

For a few seconds, not a word was said, eventually it was Au... Agent Adler who spoke.

"We understand." She nodded.

They understood. Whether they would heed the warning or not was anyone's guess, and truly outside of our power.

Coulson asked that we move to a more private location, the very place where Mjolnir had been and the Agency, S.H.I.E.L.D. was its name, had bult temporary HQs. We were about to get on the jeeps when Agent Adler approached me unexpectedly.

"Silbhé...?" She called me, quietly enough so that only I could hear. "Are you alright?"

I was left wordless, not knowing how to reply to that.

"What has happened to you?" She insisted. "Have you been in Asgard all these years? Why did you leave? We thought you were dead! Your father..."

"Stop." I couldn't listen anymore.

It took all my strength of will to interrupt her, and even more than that to force the next words out of my mouth; but I knew it was how things needed to be. It was the choice I'd made, and I needed to abide by it.

"I know not what you speak of, my lady." I forced my expression to go completely blank. "My name is Nightingale Whisperer. Like Crown Prince Thor said, I am Lord Loki's advisor."

"But before..." She insisted.

"Before that I used to be Queen Frigg's handmaiden." I cut her off again. "I am deeply sorry, my lady. It seems you are confusing me with someone else."

I didn't allow her to insist anymore, rushing to join the rest of the Asgardians. Loki turned a piercing look at me; he could sense my turmoil, obviously, but I just shook my head; it was not something I wanted or even could get into in that moment. I just hoped Aunt Kathryn wouldn't insist on it before her colleagues...

It hurt, a lot, but decisions had been made. She had a life, and so did I; we both needed to accept the consequences of those choices. What point was there to revealing to her it was really me? In the end, I wasn't really Silbhé Arianna Salani anymore, hadn't been for five years, not since the day I became the Queen's handmaiden. That day I became Nightingale fully, I became an adult, and my previous life ceased to matter. Silbhé Salani had died, that was the truth, all that was left was Nightingale, and I was alright with that. It was a universal truth that every child must one day leave his parents' home to make a life on their own... my method might not have been the preferred one, but it was a valid one nonetheless. Or so I hoped... I still couldn't erase the guilt and the grief I felt...

As planned we all went to the S.H.I.E.L.D. outpost. There we took turns explaining everything that had happened in the last week. To my surprise, neither Sif nor the Warriors made any mention of my sending them to the dungeons; then again, they didn't mention their treacherous plans either. We didn't mention Loki's involvement in the Jotun's initial infiltration, or his true parentage, or my origins; there were some things we considered either too personal or too controversial, and didn't want to have them tamper our new relationship with Midgard.

Eventually we finished the debriefing. The Supervisory Agents seemed pretty satisfied with the recount, though I was quite sure they'd noticed there were things we weren't saying. Hopefully they accepted they were things that didn't affect them and would leave it at that. Jane would be continuing her reaearch, sponsored by the Agency; and we would make an effort to keep a cordial relationship between the realms. I knew Thor at least would make an effort to visit as frequently as possible; he seemed quite smitten with Jane Foster!

"What guarantee do we have that if we ever need help, especially against other alien beings, you will come and help us?" One of the other Agents in the room asked.

"We have given our word." Thor informed him simply.

"For an Aesir," I elaborated. "Giving one's word, making a vow, is binding. Magic will extract a price if the oath isn't kept and whoever broke their word will be forever known as Forsworn. That is a most terrible dishonor to one's name."

There were nods all around. I was quite sure most of the midgardians still did not understand. For them it was so easy to lie, to make promises and later not keep them. Aesir were different. It was why Loki was such an oddity. God of Lies, they called him. At one point I'd believed it was stupid and impossible, how can anyone be a god of something like lies? Except it wasn't actually that simple. On one hand, because Loki never outright lied, he bent the truth, twisted it, but never broke it (which is why he wasn't Forsworn, despite his title); on the other because the mere fact that Loki was capable of even that much, was enough to be considered the God of Lies anyway. He was the only one who could do such a thing... far as I knew anyway.

It looked like some of the Agents wanted to keep us around longer even after we finished all the retelling. But by then Sif and the Warriors Three were growing antsy, as was Thor; none of us had forgotten the state we'd left Asgard in, though at least Loki and I were completely confident in Asgard's victory, after all, they were warriors, and the plans had been made so they would be prepared for practically anything... and at the time we were leaving victory was pretty much assured already. So there really was no need to worry.

After we'd said our goodbyes to the Agents Thor offered Jane to show her the bridge she'd been studying; she, delighted, said yes. The next second they were gone, flying in the direction where we could sense the Bifrost awaiting.

"Did he really have to do that?" Sif muttered, quietly enough that few of us heard.

Her words triggered a thought in me: was she jealous? I had suspected, more than once, that Sif might be in love with Thor. She'd never said anything, and neither had he. However, if my suspicions were right... Sif had given up on everything that distinguished a lady in Asgard; and, granted, I was quite sure she liked being a warrior. Still, her position made it so it was highly unlikely a man would ever care for her and wish to marry her; most Asgardian men simply had no interest in women who were 'out of the ordinary'. Thor, being pretty much the ultimate warrior, Sif had probably believed he would accept her as both a Warrior and a Woman. And then Thor had met and fallen in love with Jane, who one could almost see as the exact opposite from Sif...

"Thor just couldn't wait to fly again." Loki said flippantly.

The comment seemed to be enough to make Sif relax once again and yet, a quick look into the bond connecting us told me that he thought as I did; he'd just said that for Sif's benefit (and because the last thing we needed was a jealous warrior-maiden losing her temper.

Darcy and Selvig went for the RV they'd driven to the facility, offering Sif, the Warriors Three and even Coulson a ride.

"Nightingale and I shall find our own way there." Loki announced suddenly. "And we could take Agent Adler, if she so wishes."

I had no idea what was going on, but something in the bond was urging me to agree, so I did.

"Of course." I nodded automatically. "Besides, I'm quite sure the RV will be a little tight with so many people inside already... It would be no trouble to bring Agent Adler with us. That is, of course, only if she finds it acceptable."

"More than acceptable." She stated blankly.

And even when her expression was so blank, was the slightest change in his eyes, a change I noticed; and suddenly I had a very good idea of what was coming. I felt terrified.

The moment the RV had vanished in the clouds of sand and dust, and the remaining agents had gone back inside the facility, Agent Adler turned to stare straight at me.

"Regardless of what you might try to say, you lie only to yourself." She told me quietly, with not a hint of hesitation. "I know who you are, Silbhé..."

"If you don't mind, my lady." Loki interrupted her softly but strongly. "I believe this is the kind of conversation we would do better having in private..."

"Of course." She nodded stoically.

With that Loki took hold of both of our arms. I barely had the presence of mind to tell my Aunt to jump at the same time Loki and I did, then we were gone. Thankfully, she'd reacted to my words automatically, without stopping to think about them (and a part of me wondered if it was her Agent training, or she really trusted me that much, despite the time apart and the lies).

"We're several miles west from the Bifrost point." Loki informed us once we were back on the ground. "There's no reason for anyone to come this way, and we should have enough time to get to our destination before the RV gets there. Now..."

"Now." Kathryn righted herself. "You will explain to me what exactly happened five years ago, and why you made us believe you died."

For a few seconds I had no words. In all the years that had passed since that amazing, terrible day, I never imagined being in such a situation: being forced / getting the chance, to see my family again, at least the most important member of it, revealing the truth to her.

"You may think you can lie to me Silbhé." She insisted. "But you lie only to yourself."

"I am not Silbhé..." I muttered, but it sounded weak, even to my own ears.

"I am your Aunt." She insisted strongly. "More than that. I am the woman who raised you, for twelve years! I might not have given birth to you myself, but you're as good as my daughter! Now, tell me the truth!"

She was right, she was as good as my mother. While I would never forget that Aislinn Salani nee Kinross had been the one to carry me and give birth to me, she'd died when I was much too young to truly remember her. I had vague memories of whispered prayers and lullabies, some in English, some in Gaelic; as well as a pair of earrings and a wedding picture. Kathryn, my father's sister, had been the one to raise me (especially with my dad always working); she'd even given up her job to do so! I might have never called her anything but Aunt... but in my heart she'd been as good as my mother. She would always be.

Loki pierced me with a look I understood instantly: I didn't have to do it if I didn't want to. I could walk away, and he would make Kathryn forget she ever knew it was me... it wasn't good, but it would have been justified. However, that wasn't what I wanted, not really. Deep down I'd always wanted, prayed even, for the chance to get at least one person from my old family back. As much as I may love Loki, the Queen, Thor, even Rue, Karin and some of the other girls, they just couldn't compare to Aunt Kathryn...

Even after realizing my own wishes, I had no idea what to say exactly, so I decided to pretty much wing it.

"First of all, I would really like it if you called me Nightingale." I told her softly. "Silbhé... I wasn't lying when I claimed I'm not her. Truth is I have not felt like Silbhé Salani for five years, it is a name I feel I can no longer relate to. Like I am no longer her, even if I used to in the past. So much has changed... I have changed..."

"No matter what may change, you will always be the same, will always be you, Nightingale." Loki assured me quietly.

"He's right, you know?" Kathryn actually sighed at that. "I recognized you, not only for the way you look, as even I realized I might have gotten that wrong. No, it's the way you hold yourself. You're physically so small, yet there is power in you, and you know it, instinctively, and the way you move, speak, even the way you stand, reflects it."

"That's true." Loki agreed. "It's something I've always known, even when you were a child. It's what drew me to you in the first place."

"So, will you tell me now?" My aunt inquired. "Will you explain to me how it is that your father and I came to believe you died in your sleep, and yet you somehow are here right now, walking with gods and dressed as a princess?"

I couldn't help it, her words brought a laugh out of me. She couldn't know how right the last part of her statement was, and it really hadn't occurred to me before but if... when I married Loki, I would be, truly, a princess! It was a dizzying thought.

"I should have died that night." I told her, finally. "I would have, hadn't it been for Loki. He saved my life, with his magic. However, there were consequences none of us could have predicted... while the cancer would no longer kill me, we couldn't be apart. If we separated more than a certain distance we began feeling sick, and it got progressively worse. We had to stay together... and he couldn't stay here. He had a life on Asgard..." I shook my head. "No one even knew he was here, and he couldn't stay."

"I wasn't supposed to be here." Loki clarified. "I especially wasn't supposed to interfere in the lives of mortals. If the Allfather had found out... it wouldn't have been good. At the very least he would have erased from Nightingale's mind all memory of me, and probably locked me up for a few years, maybe even a few decades. And if he'd known what I did to save her..."

"Why would he be angry about you saving someone's life?" Kathryn did not understand.

"We already told you that the Allfather vowed to guard over the realms, but allow them to evolve as they may." Loki reminded her. "We're not supposed to interfere, to help them, you... I saved your niece from something she could have never survived on her own, something no one survives. The Allfather would have seen her continued existence as an imbalance. And then there is the fact of what would have happened if the doctors noticed that she was living on with the cancer... they would want to study her, and that would have been catastrophic."

"I would have never allowed Silbhé to become a science experiment!" Aunt Kathryn was deeply upset by the veiled accusation.

"Maybe not of your own will, but it may not have been up to you in the end." Loki told her grimly. "In any case, there is no need to worry about things that never came to pass." He shook his head. "Nightingale is right that I couldn't stay here. I knew that, but I didn't want to consider what that meant. Except she knew it, and she made the choice I didn't dare to."

"Why not just tell us the truth?" Kathryn inquired.

"I wasn't sure you could take it, pretty sure dad couldn't..." I sighed. "And if you ever made a comment, or anything that called Asgard's attention on you... Loki and I would have had no way of protecting you... So in the end I decided it was better to just let you believe I died."

"The dream..." She seemed to remember that detail suddenly.

"It was no dream." I confirmed what she probably suspected already. "Though we had you believe that so you would have no reason to doubt my death... I just wanted you to move on. Wanted to make sure you wouldn't stagnate once I was gone..."

"And what about you?" My aunt sounded almost challenging as she asked that. "Did you just 'move on' too?"

"In some ways, yes." I admitted. "In others... no, and I probably never will." I let out a breath. "When I told you to call me Nightingale, I wasn't trying to be cruel. For the last five years that's all I've been; that's also who I shall be for the rest of my life..."

We explained it to her then, about the life I lead. How I'd become the Queen's handmaiden and protege upon arrival to Asgard, how I'd been released from that duty when Loki became Lord Regent, so I could be named Lady Whisperer... and what was to come...

"So you're getting married..." She murmured at the end.

"Yes." I smiled brightly.

"I care for Nightingale more deeply than I've ever cared for another in my life." Loki told her serenely. "I want nothing more than to spend the rest of it by her side..."

"What about your immortality?" Aunt Kathryn inquired, worriedly.

"If she is to be my Bride, I can intercede before the Allfather to allow her to partake of Idunn's apples, which would grant her immortality and eternal youth..." Loki answered easily.

What he didn't say, and I could practically hear in the corner of our mind that connected us was that even that might not be necessary. What had begun as a life-force link, formed by the deamarkonian to feed me his energy so my body could fight the cancer and keep it at bay, had been changing in the time since we'd been connected, especially in the last couple of years. The signs were there: the sharing of magic, our empathy, the way we seemed to reflect each other's pain, and how we could almost know what the other was thinking...

"So... you would live forever then?" She asked looking at me. "Can you do that?" She shook her head. "What I mean is, can you handle that?"

She had realized it, my true fear; the real reason why I'd tried so hard to stay away from her... it was about more than just them moving on, or I... I didn't want to have to say goodbye again. Granted, both she and my father were older than I, and once we took the cancer out of the equation, and baring unexpected accidents, they were always going to die before I did. But there was a difference between them dying old and gray, with me following some time later; to losing them, and knowing I would never follow...

Truth is, I was afraid of immortality. More than afraid, I was simply terrified at the idea of living, of my existence continuing, uninterrupted, till the end of time... granted, being technically catholic (even if I hadn't been very active in the religion for many years, more than I'd been in Asgard, even), I knew about the idea of heaven, of the afterlife and such. Being in contact with individuals like the Aesir I had learnt about Helheim, Niflheim, Valhalla... still, there was a huge difference between knowing something as a concept, and knowing it for a fact.

And yet... there was one other thing to take in consideration; the sole reason why there had been no doubt, no hesitation in me when I'd given my answer to Loki's marriage proposal... it was him. I loved him so much. For him I was willing to face anything without regrets: anything, even death... and life... eternity.

**xXx**

Our conversation ended shortly after that, as Loki informed us the RV would be in view of the Bifrost Site soon, so we had to get going. We made it there just in time and Thor and Jane, as lost as they had been in each other, were none the wiser about our late arrival. Right before the others stepped out of their vehicle Aunt Kathryn spoke one last time, just loud enough for me to hear:

"Have a safe trip, Nightingale..." She smiled at me.

So maybe she still didn't like it, but was willing to accept it. I'd already promised her I would try to visit, but we would have to be careful; for both her safety and mine her bosses couldn't know about my past, couldn't know I was her supposedly-dead niece.

Reiterations were made about Asgard protecting Earth, and us being S.H.I.E.L.D.'s allies, Thor also promised Jane he would return, and then we were on our way.

Our return to Asgard went mostly unnoticed. Heimdall had horses waiting for us; and the Queen had left one of her handmaidens to wait for our arrival by the palace's doors. But almost everyone else was either resting, getting healed or helping with the reconstruction.

The battle was over, had been for a while; probably shortly after we'd left, even. Knowing the Queen would be in the Royal Wing Sif and the Warriors Three were dismissed to finish their healing, while Thor, Loki and I followed Sigyn; one of the Queen's older handmaidens, had been in service for two years and was the one most likely to take over Rue's post as chief handmaiden after Rue herself left service in a few months.

It had seemed almost ironic to me when I'd met Sigyn. The woman who, according to Norse mythology was supposed to be the Goddess of Fidelity, as well as Loki's wife. At one point, when we'd been talking about what the humans had gotten right, and wrong, we'd talked about Sigyn: his friend, probably his only true friend. Maybe that was why humans had made that mistake... still, I couldn't help but find it funny. Sigyn was actually an amazing woman, with strawberry blonde hair and bright eyes; she was quiet, demure, observant, very intelligent... perhaps the perfect Asgardian lady... She also knew I was no Aesir, was one of the few; yet she hadn't said a word, not to anyone else, and not even to me, except to let me know if I ever needed help I could count on her, and her discretion. I hoped she would find someone who truly valued her, got to live a good life (it wouldn't be Loki, of course, for he was all mine! And it still amazed me to realize that).

Sigyn couldn't enter the Queen's private apartments, so she left us at the door. We went through the main sitting room, then the private one, and finally into the King's private bedroom. Where the Queen was once again sitting by her husband's bedside, watching over him. She reacted the moment Thor and Loki crossed the threshold.

"Oh..." She gasped in delight, running to them. "My sons! You're alright!" She embraced Thor tightly. "You're back! My dear boy!" She turned to Loki to embrace him too. "You brought your brother back! I knew you would!" She face both of them. "I knew the two of you would be alright as long as you were together. I always told your father you were meant to be a team..."

"You were right mother, as always." Loki smiled at her.

"But our team wouldn't be complete without the Lady Nightingale!" Thor contributed.

The moment all three of them turned to look at me I felt like a deer caught in the headlights. It didn't help matters any when the Queen rushed to embrace me as well.

"From the moment my son brought you to us I knew you were special Nightingale..." She told me with a smile, kissing my brow. "You're the greatest blessing the Norns have ever given us. Not only to me, but to my sons... especially to Loki..."

Then, as if I weren't in enough of a limelight already, Loki decided that very moment to inform his mother of certain developments...

"Mother, I believe you should know I have proposed to Nightingale, and she has accepted me." My Maverick announced with a bright smile. "We shall be married in a month!"

"Oh..." Frigg's own smile seemed impossibly bright by that point. "How wonderful!"

Thor began teasing us almost right away. Claiming he should have seen it coming; both Loki and I chose to hold our tongues and not say that there was no way he could have noticed when he never paid attention to either of us unless he needed us for something... truth is Thor had changed and was still changing. Apparently exile truly had helped him; or at least meeting Jane had.

In any case, soon Loki and I were returning the teasing, reminding him of Jane, and of their 'deal'. Seeing Thor blush was worth all the embarrassment on our part. Lady Frigg just laughed at the three of us and our exchange.

During a private dinner in the Queen's private sitting room we finally told her everything that had happened, especially the events that had taken place on Midgard. After thinking it for a short while, I eventually explained about the conversation Loki and I'd had with my aunt too. Thor reacted to that, though not exactly as I'd expected:

"You mean you are human?" He didn't sound angry, more like curious.

"I am." I nodded.

"And you both knew." He turned to his mother and brother.

"Do not take it out on them Thor, please." I asked him. "It's not like we were keeping it a secret from you, but from everyone. Loki knows because... well, he's the reason I'm even here. And Lady Frigg found out when Loki brought me, she needed to know why I'd come to Asgard. We kept it from you because we knew not how you would react, and we couldn't risk that reaction being a negative one."

"You must admit brother than until you met the Lady Jane and your other human friends your views on midgardians weren't exactly positive." Loki pointed out.

Thor couldn't deny that, but he still grumbled, annoyed.

"So, if Nightingale can be Loki's Bride, does that mean Jane could be mine someday?" The Thunderer asked unexpectedly.

"I don't know..." His mother admitted.

"It isn't the same case Thor." I told him quietly. "While yes, we both are humans who are loved by Asgardians, that's really where our similarities end. And there is a variable in Loki's and my relationship that does not exist with you and Jane..."

"Which is..." Thor was beginning to sound petulant.

"This..." I placed my right arm on the table, willing my deamarkonian to be seen.

"So that is the deamarkonian..." Lady Frigg murmured. "I'd heard about it from you two, but I'd never actually seen it..."

Loki just placed his own arm on the table and willed his cuff-bracelet to be seen.

"What is that?" Thor inquired, confused.

"Part of our story." I told him calmly.

"The part you and Jane can never hope to replicate." Loki added, before elaborating for his brother's benefit. "You need to understand Thor that it is quite possible, and even likely, that Father will demand Nightingale be subjected to the Trials in order to prove her worth and be allowed to receive Idunn's apples. What we are not sure of, is if she even needs them. There is a chance that the bond that began forming between us the moment we put these on, will be enough to grant her at least an echo of my own immortality."

"I don't understand..." Thor muttered confused.

"Maybe you should start from the beginning." The Queen suggested. "In any case, your full story is one I have never heard, and I would love to."

And so Loki and I told our story for the second time that day. We went more into detail in some things; things Thor and Frigg could understand in ways my Aunt Kathryn never could have, simply because they weren't a part of her life.

In the end Thor, and possibly his mother as well, was focused in one sole thing:

"So... if she dies you will die...?" Thor murmured, shocked.

"Yes." I nodded quietly. "I am sorry about that..."

"I have nothing against you, Nightingale." Thor told me right away. "I love you like a sister already; I'm quite sure I would even if you weren't going to marry my brother. I just... the idea of the two of you placing yourselves in that position... However much I might love Jane, I know not if I could subject her to something like that. As amazing as it would be to know my immortality would sustain her, the idea of her dying if I were to do something stupid and get killed..." He turned to his brother. "Were you not afraid when you put on that bracelet?"

"I was afraid from the moment the idea even entered my head." Loki admitted straight out. "But the idea of losing Nightingale weighed far heavier on my mind that the chance of dying myself. Even if I'd known her only for three years at that time... she understood me, in a way no one else did. I felt that if I lost her I would lose myself..."

"I will never forget the moment Loki woke me up and told me he'd found the way to save me." I told them quietly. "From the moment I told him I was sick, and that I had only three months to live he assured me he would find a solution, a way to save me... I couldn't see how, Cancer is incurable. While there are many doctors and scientists researching and experimenting on things that might help heal sicknesses such as mine... it's unlikely they will get positive results any time soon. So when Loki said he would I didn't see how. It's not like you even have such a thing as leukemia, cancer, or anything of the kind; how then could he find a cure? I never expected for him to create something that could only be found in a science-fiction novel." I shook my head and sighed. "When he told me he'd found the way... I was still half-asleep and what part of my mind was awake couldn't fully process what he was saying. Still, I never doubted. The moment he offered me the bracelet I didn't doubt, not for myself in any case. I was afraid for him, never for me. I never wanted to be the reason he died... the reason you lost him..."

"I think we would have lost him if you had died that day..." Frigg told me compassionately.

"Mother is right." Thor agreed. "And I feel great joy at having both of you here today. My life would be terribly empty without you two in it brother, sister..."

For a long while we said nothing, just sharing tea and some pastries. Until I remembered something, or rather someone.

"How are Elanor and the baby?" I inquired softly.

"Safe." The Queen nodded. "After Commander Tyr came to inform me the battle had been won and there were no more Jotun in Asgard, Rue came to me, told me of the task you'd left her. I talked to the young lady myself. I imagine there's no way you could have known this, but the lady is in fact the daughter of a noble elven line."

"Alfheim...?" Even Loki sounded surprised.

"Indeed, she was the most trusted handmaiden to the late princess Merenwen." Frigg went on. "Who, according to the stories circulating, went missing around a year ago or so, some claim she was pregnant, and the sire was someone her realm did not approve of."

"A Jotun..." I muttered grimly.

"Yes." The Queen nodded. "The story is quite sad indeed. Princess Merenwen left Alfheim to protect her unborn child, and Lady Elanor went with her. The princess died giving birth, and Elanor chose to stay in Jotunheim to take care of the baby. She's served as his nursemaid for the last six months."

"At least the elven mother explains why the baby was a runt..." Loki murmured thoughtfully.

I wondered if he was thinking about his own mother, and who exactly she might have been. There was a chance that she, her own origins, justified his small stature, at least when compared to other Frost Giants; meaning there was nothing wrong with him being the size he was.

"Little Hákon is as perfect as you were when you were a babe." Frigg pointed out with a smile. "Even if he lacks your instinct for shape-shifting."

"Maybe I could help him with that." Loki nodded thoughtfully.

"Shouldn't we allow the boy to grow up being who and what he is?" Thor asked, confused.

"As honored and grateful as I might be for your acceptance of my own heritage, brother, we both know most of Asgard won't share your opinion." Loki pointed out grimly. "If they were to learn of my biological parentage they would be disgusted, horrified and fearful of what I might do, what the monster-blood in my veins might cause... no, even if we accept Hákon with open arms, and tell him from the start who and what he is. He will be far safer if no one outside the family knows such things." He sighed. "You know, that is one thing I have trouble thinking about. For while I understand why Father would keep my origins a secret from a realm who wouldn't be able to understand it... why keep it a secret from me?" He shook his head. "I know mother that you've said it was done so I wouldn't feel different. But I felt that way anyway; at least knowing why I was so different would have helped... at least I would have known the difference was no fault of mine; that it wasn't my fault I couldn't be the son Thor was..."

"You weren't the son Thor was, but we never wanted you to be Thor." Frigg assured him, placing a hand on her son's forearm. "You are perfect just the way you are Loki."

Loki smiled a bit to his mother and that topic of conversation was pushed aside; though I knew a part of Loki would never forget that hurt, at least he could move past it.

"Will Elanor be leaving now that the baby will be safe?" I asked next.

"She has chosen to stay." The Queen told me. "She wishes to continue taking care of the baby, she effectively sees him as a son, I believe. She could have acceptable protection and status if she were to be your handmaiden, Nightingale."

"My... my handmaiden?" I did not see that one coming.

Upon further thought, I should have known something like that could happen. Especially with my change in status.

"You are the Lady Whisperer now..." Lady Frigg reminded me.

"I imagine I won't remain as such much longer." I said with a shrug. "Thor is back, and we know he'd chosen Loki as his Whisperer, which is the right choice. Loki is by far a better politician than I will ever be."

"Perhaps, but you shouldn't underestimate yourself either, my Nightingale." Loki told me. "I know I wouldn't have achieved half of the things I did in the last week, had I not had you by my side through it all."

"And I do believe I will need the both of you, if I am to ever be the King Asgard needs, and deserves." Thor added seriously.

Yet another thing I did not see coming. I'd been so sure Thor's return and ascension to the throne would have Loki taking the post of Whisperer and then that would be the end to my 'political career'. Even if I became princess by my marriage to Loki (and therefore needed handmaidens) the idea of continuing as the Whisperer, or even just an Advisor... I wasn't expecting that. With everything that had already happened I probably should have.

"I believe Sigyn would also make a good chief handmaiden for you." The Queen went on.

"Sigyn?" I was confused. "It thought she was to be your chief handmaiden?"

"She has the training, which is how I know she could serve as yours, and she is agreeable to the idea." Lady Frigg told me. "Rue has accepted to stay another six months to a year in my service, giving time to choose another girl and train her to take the post." She smiled. "As princess and Advisor you would need to have at least six handmaidens; which means that, were you to accept Elanor and Sigyn, you would only need four. You have seen what the process is for choosing handmaidens, so it shouldn't be hard for you to do it."

Yes, I knew the process; except that in the past I'd only helped chose those who would be handmaidens to the Queen; those who fit better with her and the duties that would be required of them. One would think it should be easier to pick handmaidens for myself... but I just couldn't even begin to imagine what I would be looking for...

I was interrupted from my worrying thoughts by my Maverick's rather intensely focused thoughts and his, for lack of a better term, brooding.

"I'm not brooding..." Loki almost hissed right then.

"I did not say that out-loud." I pointed out.

Right when we were beginning to think we knew everything there was to know about our bond, that we understood it... it went and threw us for a loop with a new development. I wondered if we would ever reach a limit in how deep our bond could get, or if it would keep growing forever.

"In any case." I chose to push that matter aside for the time being. "Will you tell me what you were thinking? So focused you were..."

"I was remembering what Laufey said about traitorous sons... and about Helblindi's coupe..." Loki revealed seriously. "I think if there ever was a moment to make an attempt for a permanent peace treaty with Jotunheim... this is it."

It was obvious the Queen wasn't expecting that, judging by the gasp she let out. Thor, as if in honor of all he'd changed, looked straight at Loki before speaking.

"I suppose you have a plan, brother." The Thunderer stated.

"Indeed, I do, brother." Loki agreed, with an almost mischievous smirk.

I knew nothing bad would happen, but it was still likely to cause chaos...

**xXx**

Indeed, it caused chaos, of epic proportions. The plan was to have a meeting, representatives of Asgard and Jotunheim coming together to talk peace... and the meeting was to take place in the palace, in Asgard. Some of the councilmen thought the plan was insanity. After chastising them for their insulting comments, Thor pointed out that the offering was a show of good faith on Asgard's part; Loki added that if the Jotun attended, it was a show of good faith as well, as they would have to deal with the fact that their armies had been decimated just days earlier. Of course, what none of them knew was that the remaining Jotun wanted nothing to do with Laufey, Byleistr and all the others who had been part of the attacks. That part was left as a surprise for later.

The first court session after Thor's return from Midgard was shocking to a great many people, myself included. Thor refused to sit on the King's throne, even though the first thing Loki did the moment we were all there was to relinquish his powers and surrender his claim on the throne. Instead Thor announced he would be Crown Prince and Acting King, until the day his father believed him truly worthy of the post of King and crowned him as it was meant to be.

In order for things to be, mostly, the way they were supposed to be, Loki and Thor would rule side by side: as Crown Prince and Lord Regent; if the two agreed on a course of action it would be done, if they disagreed nothing could be done until they reached an agreement. And I was to be their Crown Whisperer.

As if the whole announcement hadn't been shocking enough, Thor went as far as having Loki conjure three ornate chairs (though nowhere near as ornate as the throne itself) and place them on equal standing on the wide level that marked the middle of the steps up the dais where the throne sat (the very spot where Loki would stand during important events. We were to be all on the same level (which shocked and embarrassed me more than anything else).

Helblindi agreed with the plan as soon as he heard of it. Yet another surprise came when Sif insisted on acting as my escort when I went personally to deliver the invitation. According to her with my position (as Whisperer, for no one but the family yet knew of the engagement) I ought to be protected. I still carried my crystal dagger with me, always hidden in the folds of my dress. The story of my fight against the Jotun in the Queen's private sitting room had become commonly known, to the point where several people who never looked twice at me, had taken to directing respectful looks at me and bowing their heads whenever I passed.

Finally the day came for the meeting. A new dress had been made for me for the occasion. It was in the same style of the one Loki had given me as a gift, except it was an ivory white color, with embroidery of what people on Earth would call damascus design, in an iridescent thread (made in such a way so the embroidery could only be seen when the light hit it right; the details on the sleeves and the sash were gold, just like they'd been on the other dress, and I was even wearing the same golden slippers. My jewelry consisted of the deamarkonian bracelet, the triquetra earrings (Rue had given it back after embracing me tight and chastising me for worrying her) and a new Royal Seal I wore, which had Loki's symbol instead of the Allfather's (Thor had offered to add his symbol to show he considered me as a Whisperer as well, but I thought something like that ought to be given to his wife, not to me).

As planned I was the one to lead Helblindi and his entourage from the Bifrost to the palace, with Sif and the Warriors Three flanking me; once again, they had insisted. It was strange how ever since the events of that day they had changed; they seemed to be making every effort to help me, and even Loki, as much as they helped Thor. Most of the time Loki turned down their help, arguing that he didn't need it (and he didn't truly trust them) yet he was all for them helping me in any way possible (which meant he trusted them to a point, if he trusted them with me).

We entered the huge throne room as planned. Sif and the Warriors Three took their posts at the foot of the dais, two on each side. I was supposed to climb up to my place in that moment, but then I had an idea...

*Trust me...* I whispered into the newly discovered mental link I had with my Maverick.

I went to stand right in front of Helblindi, where I did an elaborate curtsy at him, before raising my hand, offering it to him, in a move that was enough to make the sleeve fall back, baring most of my arm to him. The new Jotun King seemed to realize, or at least suspect my plan, for he did not hesitate before dropping to one knee in front of me, touching his hand to mine.

There was a loud gasp from all around, as the consequences of such touch were well-known. What only a handful of us knew was that Jotun could choose not to burn with their touch. In my case he wouldn't have burnt me anyway; but my show of trust might help others be more open and trusting at the idea.

"Very bold princess..." Helblindi whispered, quietly enough so only I heard. "I like it..."

"I've learnt from the best." I told him in the same tone.

With the show finished I waited for Helblindi to get back on his feet before nodding respectfully, turning my back to him, and finally climbing the steps to my place. I just smiled at Thor's baffled expression, Loki just grinned at me, he'd enjoyed my little show.

"Next time you're planning on doing something like that, please warn me first?" Thor asked of me, probably of both of us, quietly.

"I make no promises." I replied mischievously.

Thor just shook his head, but did not insist.

When Helblindi took a chance to speak and went on to condemn the actions of the former King and prince of Jotunheim for their attacks on Asgard and its Prince, that won him a lot of favor with the Court (like we'd known it would).

There had been talk before about eventually returning the Casket of Ancient Winters; but it was not something that could be decided just yet; not even by Thor and Loki together. So it was left as a possibility for the future. Still, the mere thought seemed to be enough for Helblindi, who understood that the brothers couldn't do as much as they might want.

The event went pretty well after that. Eventually the Asgardian Court relaxed enough in the presence of the Jotun, some even dared touch Helblindi, and when they weren't burnt that served to promote even more trust. And then... something none of us could have ever expected:

The sound of the main doors opening was loud enough to silence everyone in the Throne Room. Thor, Loki and I'd been quietly conferring about finishing the event, as we'd already done and achieved everything we'd planned, the only thing left was the feast in the Main Hall. And then the doors opened, and we could only turn in that direction in shock, to find none other than the Allfather standing at the entrance, in full regal attire.

I came so very close to letting out a curse in Gaelic. We hadn't expected the Allfather to arrive! How had we missed something as monumental as the King waking up?!

I knew I wasn't the only one shocked, and Thor almost jumped off his seat, except Loki managed to stop him just in time.

"We must always appear to be in control." Loki murmured to his brother under his breath. "Even when that is the farthest from the truth. Appearances must be kept."

Thor nodded minutely, letting his brother know he understood.

The moment the thunderer relaxed, Loki let him go; then, after a beat, all three of us got on our feet in unison, bowing respectfully at the King once he reached the middle of the room.

"Father..." Loki and Thor murmured in tandem.

"Your Majesty." I said in turn.

Odin looked at the three of us, his eyes lingering on me (probably wondering what I was doing sitting there) but no comment was made.

"Father, I'm glad you decided to join us in this joyous occasion!" Thor called brightly.

"And unprecedented brother, forget not that." Loki added.

"A good beginning for lasting peace." I completed.

"Lasting peace." Helblindi echoed in agreement before turning to Odin. "I have to say, Allfather, you have truly remarkable people guarding your throne and your realm. You must be incredibly proud of them."

"Indeed, I am." The Allfather agreed.

I could see the expression in his eyes, and with Loki's help in the back of my mind it was quite easy to read it. I almost chuckled at that. So apparently the Allfather had planned on surprising us, put us off our game so we would make a mistake, make fools of ourselves. Instead, we had managed to turn the tables on him. By acting like we should have been expecting him and us reacting accordingly he had made it so he couldn't complain about anything we did or said because, of course, he already knew!

And I wasn't the only one who saw that...

"Perhaps we could adjourn this to the Main Hall." Loki suggested.

Everyone agreed. Thor offered his father the lead, to which the old man refused, stating that we had prepared the event, therefore it was only right for us to continue leading it. So we lead the way. The Banquet Hall was full of all kinds of foods, as was usual. We'd made sure that they were things the Frost Giants could consume, mostly meats, roots and such. It was a good thing Helblindi had brought with him only those who had enough 'royal blood' in their veins to possess the ability to change their size, otherwise they would have never fit at the table.

For the purpose of that particular feast, the huge chair at the head of the table had been taken away. Instead Thor, Loki and I would be in the first three chairs on one side of the long table, followed by Sif and the Warriors Three; while straight across from us would be Helblindi and his own entourage. That way no one would boast of higher standing.

Once again, when Thor offered his father the first chair, the Allfather refused. I could see he was unsettled by the absence of the ornate chair that would usually be at the head; but he couldn't ask about it either; as he was supposed to know...

"Perhaps we should retire..." Frigg suggested quietly. "Let the young ones handle their event."

"Yes, of course." Odin nodded. "Thor... Loki..."

"Father, before you leave." Thor called to him. "A toast perhaps?"

A servant that was passing by immediately offered the King a goblet full of the finest Asgardian wine. Similar goblets were placed on ever spot at the table.

"Of course." Odin nodded, raising the goblet. "To my sons, who have done justice to their name and mine, in my absence. Same for the Lady Whisperer. And this magnificent event they have managed to bring forth." He turned to Helblindi with a polite nod of the head. "For Asgard and Jotunheim. May this be the beginning of a long, prosperous, peaceful relationship between our two realms."

"For our realms, and the people who inhabit them." Helblindi agreed.

Everyone took a swing of the wine. It was spicy, and chilly; quite different from what I was used to drinking; and yet I knew the mix had been prepared specifically for the occasion. To honor Jotunheim, and the treaty between the two realms. Loki had said it fit, somehow...

Before Odin had the chance to put down the goblet, Thor raised his own again, signaling his wish to make a toast of his own.

"I know we're all ready to share in the wonderful feast that has been prepared to celebrate this occasion." The Thunderer announced. "However, with my brother's permission, I would like to make a formal announcement, and a celebratory toast first."

Suddenly I had a very good idea of what was coming. My anxiety climbed so fast I felt like I was losing my breath. However, the moment my love entwined his fingers with mine, I realized there was nothing to fear, I had him, nothing could go wrong after that... so with that, I stood straight, and waited for what was coming.

"I would like to take this chance to announce the upcoming union between my beloved brother, Loki, and the Lady Whisperer, Nightingale!" He called loudly before turning our way and raising his goblet higher. "May your love shine bright and last forever."

"So mote it be..." Loki and I whispered in unison, raising our own goblets with our free hands.

"Cheers!" Thor called brightly.

"Cheers!" Everyone echoed all around.

I could see, from the corner of my eye, the absolute shock the Allfather was feeling. However, due to the charade he himself had begun, he could do nothing but agree, and he knew it.

"Blessings!" Lady Frigg called with a bright (almost impish) smile as she raised a goblet of her own to add to the toast.

The she turned to look pointedly at Odin, who couldn't help but echo her own wishes and drink to our upcoming nuptials...

Finally, Odin and Frigg left, and we took our seats to begin the feast.

"I hope you realize that Father is going to kill us all after what you just pulled, brother?" Loki said from the corner of his mouth.

"Perhaps, but at the very least you shall have your bride brother." Thor replied with a knowing smile. "After all, Father has already approved of your union, has he not?"

"Sneaky brother..." Loki actually laughed at that. "I like it. You're learning."

"I have to, to keep up with you!" Thor was delighted by the whole thing.

I still thought he was absolutely insane, but he was right in saying that Odin wouldn't be able to do anything against our marriage, not after having given his blessing before so many people of both Asgard and Jotunheim. And that was pretty much what Thor was counting on when he decided to make the announcement of our engagement.

As I took a serving of several dishes, some of which I'd never seen before (despite having been on Asgard for five years, and having helped in choosing the menu for the feast), I couldn't help but wonder how had that ever become my life? A life where I'd served as a Queen's most trusted handmaiden for five years, where I had become the Highest Advisor to a future King and his Regent, where I 'walked with gods and was going to marry a prince' as Aunt Kathryn said... I had no idea how that had ever become my life; though I did know one thing for sure: I wouldn't change it for anything in the universe.

* * *

Well, that's it for this story. Hope you enjoyed it!

Next AU is already written and will begin posting in three weeks. It will explore an idea I hinted at in this very fic, what would have happened if Odin had found out about Nightingale when she was still young and vulnerable?

Also, for those who miss the Avengers when I begin focusing more on the Thor storyline, rejoice! They're coming back next AU, and I'll even be mixing up the X-Men! (Yes, I'm crazy like that).

On a half-related topic. I shall be posting another story tomorrow. Completely unrelated to the Nightingale-verse, it's still from Marvel. At the insistence of my Muse I've decided to write my own Agents of SHIELD, Skye-centric, Post-TRACKS fic. Loki will be involved in the mess (though I'm not telling you in what capacity), so, if you like the show, please give it a try! I would love to get people's opinions of how I did there (it's a One-Shot... long, but a One-Shot still).

See ya around!


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